For you who use contact lenses, should be more disciplined in contact lens hygiene. Dirty contact lenses can cause keratitis.

Keratitis is a condition in which the cornea of the eye become inflamed. This condition is often marked by pain and vision problems. Keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea (a transparent membrane covering the colored part of the eye and pupil).

At the first time using softlens or contact lenses, usually first to be reminded to always maintain the cleanliness or the hygiene of contact lenses. Lack of contact lens hygiene can cause serious eye infection called acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). Infection of the eye may cause disturbances in vision and can cause blindness. These infections not only occur in people who often use the soft lens, but often also experience a part of everyone’s eyes exposed to dust, water, and soil.

Factors Causes and Symptoms

Keratitis can occur in children and adults. Bacteria are generally unable to strike a healthy cornea, but some conditions can cause bacterial infection occurs. For example, injury or trauma to the eye can cause corneal infection.

The causes of keratitis are vary. Bacteria, viruses, and fungi is one that can cause keratitis. Other causes are dryness of the eyes caused by the use of contact lenses, foreign objects into the eye, or even more irritating. In addition, vitamin A deficiency and the use of contact lenses that are less well also be one cause of keratitis.

According to dr. Siti Fatimah Sah R., SpM from Puri Indah Hospital Kembangan Selatan, West Jakarta, keratitis caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungus allergy. “It could also result from dry eye conditions,” she said. Common causes of this disease due to trauma or injury that occurred right in the eye cornea. “Often we rubbed our eyes, causing excessive injury to the cornea,” she explained.

Keratitis cases are often found in those who are too often using contact lenses. Contact lens users are often lax in contact lens hygiene. “For example, a contact lens that is rarely cleaned up after use or the use of contact lenses that have expired,” she said.

Keratitis often occurs because patients do not save or disinfect contact lenses properly, which causes infection in the eye. Apart from the user subject factors, there is also some activities that can be risk factors for this disease are wearing contact lenses while swimming or bathing in the shower without removing contact lenses.

Some of the symptoms of keratitis are out of excessive tears and pain very much on the eyes. In addition, there is also decreased visual acuity. In some cases also found inflammation in the eyelid that causes the eyes become red and swollen and very sensitive to excessive light.

“But from all of the symptoms, the most fear is the escape of the patient’s view,” she explained.

This disease occurs because the cornea is injured and would happen to blindness if not immediately get medical treatment. In the case of further keratitis can look like a ring that covers the iris.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosis is done by way of anamnesis and find out the early history of the patient. “For the diagnosis itself usually we know from the symptoms experienced by patients,” she explained. The diagnosis of keratitis is rarely done properly at an early stage. This disease usually can be diagnosed only after all efforts treatment done in failure.

Keratitis patients often receive less medical diagnosis right, because this disease is often suspected as herpes simplex keratitis. Other diseases that also have similarities with keratitis is keratitis caused by fungi and keratitis due to mycobactery. The diagnosis can also be proved by investigation. Investigations can be done by performing a corneal biopsy culture by finding the form of amoeba.

Eyedrops or antibiotic eye ointment, antifungal, and antiviral usually given to cure keratitis, but these medicines should only be given with a doctor’s prescription. “Sometimes a lot of patients who carelessly use eye drops without a prescription from a doctor,” she said. Bad or wrong treatment  can cause deterioration of symptoms. Topical corticosteroid medicines can cause corneal deterioration in patients with keratitis due to herpes simplex virus.

Medicines containing steroids should not be used for the affected eye keratitis, because the disease may worsen and cause corneal ulceration and cause blindness, and should consult with oculist or qualified for eye treatment conditions.

“Usually the doctor will prescribe the form of eye drops or ointment applied to the eye,” she added. While for some cases are usually required the corneal transplantation to return the eye can see normally.

Keratitis patients typically use a cover to protect the eyes from bright lights, objects that can contaminate the eyes, and other irritating substances. But the more preferable is consult to oculist to get a more precise handling.

Antibiotics, anti-fungal, and anti-virus can be used depending on the bacteria cause. Spectrum antibiotics can be used for treatment, but if the laboratory results found the cause, treatment can be replaced in accordance with the patient’s condition.

“Giving antibiotics depends on the cause of keratitis itself,” she explained. Sometimes, it takes more than one kind of treatment.  Surgical laser therapy are sometimes made to the heavy case, because the patient needed a corneal transplant.