3 Best Corneal Ulcer Treatment Options You Should Try To Overcome This Issue
|Have you noticed any uneven condition in your eyelids? Have you recently noticed that you have an open sore developed on the cornea’s outer layer? If yes then it is possible that you have corneal ulcer. Well, here in this post, we will only discuss everything about corneal ulcer treatment, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, risk factors, prevention and more. So, if you are having this issue and looking for its treatment then you should definitely continue reading this blog.
Our Editors Recommend:
For Safest Way To Lift Eyelids Immediately without Surgery
Click Here To Buy 3 Packs & Get 3 For Free
What Is Corneal Ulcer?
Corneal ulcers are nothing but open sores that used to develop on the cornea’s outer layer. The ulcers are generally caused due to infection by bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi. However, there are some other possible causes for corneal ulcer and they are trauma, dry eyes, Bell’s Palsy, allergic eye diseases and more.
A corneal ulcer is the eye’s outermost layer and is a clear layer that used to cover the front side of the eye. The outermost layer of the eye used to protect the rest of the eye from debris and germs. Also, it helps focus light into the eyes and plays an important role in focusing the eye vision. Injury or infection to the cornea can further cause the formation of ulcer. And corneal ulcer is a medical emergency that needs to treat right away.
Well, corneal ulcer is so common in people of any age. However, corneal ulcers may generally differ in severity and are based on the cause of the corneal ulcer. Blindness and vision impairment are the common defects that cause due to corneal ulcers, most probably in foreign countries. After knowing about corneal ulcers, it’s time to know the symptoms and causes of corneal ulcer. So, just go through the below section of this blog:
Corneal Ulcer Symptoms
When the ulcer is deep then you can easily notice the corneal ulcer symptoms. This eye issue produces severe pain because the corneal ulcer is quite sensitive. Sometimes, due to this issue, it may hurt your eyes to look ta bright light and also causes impaired vision and makes the eyes red and fill with tears. However, if you notice any of the following signs and symptoms then it may possible that you have corneal ulcer:
- Eye Pain
- Blurry Vision
- Redness
- Discharge
- Tearing
- Itchy eyelids
- White spot on the cornea
- Light Sensitivity
These are some common signs that denote that you have corneal ulcer issue. So, if you notice any of the signs then just contact your eye specialist and ask for corneal ulcer treatment options.
What Causes Corneal Ulcer?
Corneal ulcers are generally caused due to germs. However, the human eye is very well-protected by the eyelid and abundant bacteria, tears and germs may be able to enter the cornea via small abrasions if it is already damaged. Corneal ulcers are so common in people who wear contact lenses, most possibly if they wear overnight. If a cornea is so deep then it can cause scarring on the cornea that blocks light from entering the eyes. Below, you will have a look at some common causes of corneal ulcer:
- Eye injury
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Fungi
- Amoebas
- Severe allergic disease
- Inadequate eyelid closure
All these can cause corneal ulcers and as a result, you have to look for effective corneal ulcer treatment as it can also harm your eye vision and make you blind.
Common Risk Factors Of Corneal Ulcer:
There are some common risk factors for developing corneal ulcers in people and they are as follows:
- using steroid eye drops
- who have cold sores, shingles and chicken pox
- who wear contact lens
- having dry eye syndrome
- who burn their cornea due to injury
- having eyelid problems that prevent proper functioning of the eyelids
When You Should Seek Medical Care For Corneal Ulcer?
It is very important to seek medical advice from an eye specialist or any health care provider if you notice any of the above signs or symptoms:
- Changes in eye vision
- Red eyes
- Severe pain
- Discharge draining from the eye
- Feels that there is something in the eyes
- Exposure to flying particles or chemicals
How To Diagnose Corneal Ulcer?
Diagnosis of a corneal ulcer is very important in the early stage so that one can easily treat corneal ulcer with ease. During the diagnosis, your doctor will ask some questions so that he/she can determine the cause of the ulcers. There will be a great need to examine the eye under a bio-microscope, known as a slit lamp. This exam will help the doctor to see the damage to the cornea and then determine if you have a corneal ulcer. For this, fluorescein, a special dye will be placed into the eye to light up the area and helps in the diagnosis process.
However, if the exact cause of the corneal ulcers is still unknown then your doctor will take a small sample of the ulcer to know how it can be treated properly. After your eyes are numbed with the eye drops, the cells may be scraped gently from the corneal surface so that the ulcer can be easily tested.
What Are Corneal Ulcer Treatment Options?
When it comes to the corneal ulcer treatment options, it helps to eradicate the cause of the corneal ulcer. As it is already mentioned that cornea ulcer can cause vision impairment and so it is very important to treat corneal ulcer in time. Generally, three types of corneal ulcer treatment can be done to overcome this issue and they are:
Treatment #1: Conventional Treatment
Treatment #2: Topical Treatment
Treatment #3: Natural Treatments
Treatment #1: Conventional Treatment
If you are having corneal ulcer issue then you should seek the counsel of an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. The examination will easily help your doctor to determine if the infection is because of the virus, fungus, parasite, bacteria or any other injury. Generally, eye drops will be given as a basic treatment and then the eye will be examined via the microscope to find the eye damage issue.
After the corneal ulcer infection is identified, your doctor will prescribe some medicated eye drops that will be specific to the infection’s type.
NOTE: To treat corneal ulcer, steroid eye drops are controversial and so you should discuss with the doctor before you use because they may worsen the eye infection.
However, when you try eye drops to cure corneal ulcer, some pain medications may be prescribed. Generally, the symptoms should improve within a couple of weeks. If the redness, pain, tearing, discharge or vision changes take place then you should immediately seek medical attention. But, in some cases, a corneal transplant may be required. If the root cause of the corneal ulcer is the bacterial infection then antibacterial drops are prescribed. But, be very careful because the secondary fungal infection may take place as antibiotics suppress the growth of the bacteria that allows fungi to grow very faster.
What Types Of Doctors Treat Corneal Ulcer?
If a corneal ulcer has been developed then you should immediately consult an ophthalmologist. An ophthalmologist is actually a medical doctor, specialist in diagnosing and treating surgically of any kind of eye diseases. However, if the corneal ulcer is so serious then the ophthalmologist may refer to another ophthalmologist who is specialized in treating diseases of the cornea.
What Is The Healing Time For A Corneal Ulcer?
Well, the healing time of the corneal ulcers generally depends on the causes of the corneal ulcer, location, size and its depth. Generally, it only takes only two to three weeks to improve corneal ulcer. This should be treated until it improves completely because if it is not cleared then it may cause vision impairment and blindness.
Treatment #2: Topical Treatment
Corneal ulcer treatment can also be done with the help of some topical solution. Below are some of the most effective topical treatment for the corneal ulcer that you should definitely follow:
- Cycloplegic agents
- Prophylactic broad-spectrum topical antibiotics like 0.3% ciprofloxacin qid
- Immunosuppressive agents like topical cyclosporine 0.5% in artificial tears
- Preservative free artificial tears that are used with or without soft contact lenses and punctum plug, should be used.
These topical treatments can be taken into consideration when you wish to get the best corneal ulcer treatment.
Treatment #3: Natural Treatments
Apart from conventional and topical treatment for corneal ulcer, there are also some natural treatments that you can try for corneal ulcer treatment at home.
#1: Eye Care
When it comes to treating corneal ulcer, several treatments options are available but one of the best natural treatments you can try is to wear sunglass during the healing process. You should also avoid any kind of unnecessary eye strain. If you want to provide more comfort to your eyes then you can make use of moist warm compress on the eyes. For this, you can mix 3 cups of warm water with only 10 drops of oregano oil. After this, you need to soak a clean washcloth and then ring well and directly place over your eyes for at least 20 minutes.
#2: Try Vitamin D
When you fight against any type of eye infection, it is quite important to increase the vitamin D level in the body. However, if you experience any injury or a corneal ulcer then deficiency of vitamin D may make you more prone to develop eye infections.
When it comes to taking a high-quality vitamin D3 supplement, you should get a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes each day of direct sunlight without applying sunscreen. But, don’t forget to wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. Vitamin D is proven to improve the immune system and concentration response.
#3: Dietary Changes
While fighting against any infection, it is important to make some changes in the diet. This is the key for the corneal ulcer healing process. If you are suffering from such kind of eyelid issue then it is important to remove fungi and yeast from the diet and follow a candida diet. You should focus on eating probiotic-rich foods such as kefir, yogurt and sauerkraut and you should also boost your intake of protein, fiber and fats.
#4: Colloidal Silver
Colloidal silver used to kill germs by simply binding to the germs and then destroying them easily. A few drops of colloidal silver can kill the infection of the eyes. Some people consider colloidal silver so safe, but it actually interacts with some tetracycline antibiotics, quinolone antibiotics, hypothyroidism drug levothyroxine and penicillamine and these should be highly avoided.
#5: Echinacea
When you fight against the eye infection called corneal ulcer, you need to take 500 milligrams of Echinacea form three times a day. It has been proven I the studies that this powerful and effective herb used to fight against the viruses and bacteria and enhances human immune system function.
As Echinacea is considered to be very safe, but if you are taking any econazole or immunosuppressants which are popular antifungal medications, so you should avoid taking Echinacea supplements.
Some Facts Related To Corneal Ulcer
Some facts are there related to corneal ulcer and people should definitely know about those facts who are suffering from this eyelid issue.
- Corneal ulcer is a serious problem and it may result in blindness and vision impairment
- It is an open sore of the cornea
- Generally, such ulcers can be prevented
- The corneal ulcer will improve the adverse effect on vision if it is treated in time
These are some of the most common facts that people suffering from this eyelid issue must know.
How To Prevent Corneal Ulcers
It is not always a preventive disease, but some steps may help people to reduce the possibly severe consequences of suppurative keratitis.
- Use commercial contact lens cleaning solution
- Always wash the hands before you handle your contact lenses or touch the eyes
- Do not use tap water or saliva to moisten to store the lenses
- Do not wear contact lenses overnight
- Sterilize and clean the contact lenses before and after wearing the contact lenses and make sure that you store them in disinfecting solutions.
- Always make use of protective eye wear when doing work or other activities that cause eye trauma
- Try to make use of artificial tears so that you can keep your eyes lubricated if you are having dry eyelids issues.
Conclusion
Most of the people suffer from corneal ulcer but it is not a serious issue unless and until you have a better corneal ulcer treatment with you. Due to this eyelid issue, sometimes people also develop severe vision impairment. This ulcer can also cause permanent eyelid scars. However, from the above sections of this blog, you might get to know everything about corneal ulcer including its causes, symptoms, treatments, risk factors, preventions and more. So, you can try the best treatment option from here and get rid of corneal ulcer forever. Hope this blog will help you a lot to cure corneal ulcer.
