Corneal Ulcer

Your cornea is the clear layer at the front of your eye. A corneal ulcer is an open sore on your cornea.

An Inside Look at the Eye

• Corneal ulcers are usually caused by infection

• The infection may start with an eye injury or scratch, irritation from a contact lens, or certain eye diseases

• You may have eye pain, tears, sensitivity to light, and red, bloodshot eyes

• Doctors usually treat corneal ulcers with antibiotic eye drops

• Sometimes after a corneal ulcer heals, your cornea has a cloudy scar that affects your vision

See a doctor right away if you think you have a corneal ulcer because it can lead to blindness.

Most corneal ulcers are caused by:

• Infection

Many different bacteria, viruses, and parasites can be involved.

Usually, you also have an eye problem that makes infection more likely, for example:

• A scratch on your eye

• Irritation from your contact lenses, for example, from wearing them while you sleep or not cleaning them properly

• Irritation from in-growing eyelashes or an in-turned eyelid

• Excessively dry eyes

Usually, a corneal ulcer develops in only one eye.

Symptoms of a corneal ulcer include:

• Red, watery, bloodshot eye

• Eye pain

• Feeling like you have something in your eye

• Light hurts your eye

• A white or grayish spot on your eye

If a corneal ulcer isn't treated, it can go deeper, and the infection can damage other parts of your eye.

The Cornea, Pupil, and Iris

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Sometimes you have a scar after a corneal ulcer heals. The scar can affect your vision.

Doctors diagnose a corneal ulcer by looking at your eye. They'll do a full eye exam, including checking your vision, and may also:

• Scrape off a sample of the corneal ulcer for testing

A corneal ulcer can lead to blindness, so it is important to see a doctor right away if you think you may have a corneal ulcer.

Doctors will treat you right away with:

• Antibiotic eye drops to fight infection

• Eye drops to dilate your eye, which helps with the pain

You may need to use the antibiotic eye drops every hour or two at first.

Rarely, if a scar affects your vision, doctors may do a corneal transplant (an operation to take out your cloudy cornea and replace it with a healthy, clear one).