Ocular Herpes

Herpes of the eye (ocular herpes) is caused by the Type 1 Herpes Simplex Virus. Eye herpes is a common, recurring viral infection that affects the eyes by causing inflammation and scarring of the cornea. Ocular herpes can be transmitted to another person through close contact with someone whose herpes virus is active. Each year, an estimated 50,000 new cases of ocular herpes are diagnosed.

Forms of Ocular Herpes

Herpes keratitis, a viral corneal infection, is the most common form of ocular herpes. This type of eye herpes usually affects only the top layer of the cornea and usually heals without any scarring.
When the infection goes more deeply into the layers of the cornea, stromal keratitis occurs, which can lead to scarring, vision loss, and even blindness. Though stromal keratitis is rare, it is the leading cause of corneal scarring in the United States.
Iridocyclitis occurs when the virus causes the iris and surrounding tissues inside the eye to become inflamed. This will cause blurred vision, extreme sensitivity to light (photophobia), pain and redness.
Herpes retinitis occurs when the infection affects the retina.

Symptoms of Ocular Herpes

Eye pain is one sign associated with an ocular herpes outbreak. Other symptoms may include:

Eye swelling
Tearing of the eyes
Eye infections
Redness in the eyes
Sores in the eyes
Photophobia
Discharge from the eyes
Sensation of a foreign body in the eye

Treatment for Ocular Herpes

Depending on where the infection is located in the eye, treatment options vary. Some of the more common treatment options are:

Antiviral eye drops
Ointments
Antiviral pills
Scraping away the epithelial (debridement)
Steroid drops
Antibiotic drops
Surgery (if there’s scarring and other treatments are not working)
Corneal transplant (to restore vision after corneal scarring)

If you feel you have been exposed to ocular herpes or already have this dangerous condition, please contact an experienced eye doctor in your area for diagnosis and treatment right away.