Treatment of corneal problems
The cornea is the transparent, clear front part of the eye through which light enters the eye. This part lies in front of the iris (rainbow membrane). The outer part of the cornea is covered by a thin layer. This is called the epithelium.
There are various corneal problems that you can suffer from. You can get painful, burning and watery eyes from;
- Corneal erosion
- Trichiasis
- Pinguecula
- Pterygium
These conditions are usually easy to treat.
Corneal erosion
Corneal erosion is treated with an eye gel or an antibiotic eye ointment. Sometimes the eye can be covered with an eye bandage. This way the eye gets rest, which means that the cornea generally heals quickly. Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that damage to the corneal epithelium spontaneously recurs. In particular, damage caused by the scratch of a nail or a branch can recur and cause the same complaints again. Often, a long ointment must be applied before going to bed. A soft contact lens can also be used, which acts as a kind of bandage for the cornea to bring about healing.
With proper treatment, in most cases the cornea will heal within a week. The new epithelium is still very vulnerable: rubbing the eye can prevent healing, cause renewed pain and require new treatment with eye ointment and/or bandages.
Trichiasis
The inwardly twisted hairs are removed using a small needle with a current.
This is done under local anesthesia and takes about 10 minutes. In more than 90% of cases, the treatment has a positive effect.
Pinguecula
A pinguecula is a pale yellow swelling in the mucous membrane of the eye, caused by a build-up of proteins. Treatment is generally not necessary, except in the case of cosmetic discomfort and/or irritation. Sometimes an eye gel or artificial tears are often prescribed. Occasionally there is a local inflammation: in that case antibiotics and/or anti-inflammatory eye drops will be prescribed. Surgery, as is usually done with a pterygium, may be necessary to remove the pinguecula if desired.
Pterygium
A pterygium is a fold of the conjunctiva on the inside of the eye. The operation is usually performed under local anesthesia as a day procedure. The eye is usually painful in the first days after the operation. Afterwards, the eye may be irritated by a “sandy” feeling. The ophthalmologist usually prescribes eye ointment to reduce the symptoms and to heal the surgical area. The pain should subside over several days or weeks. Some redness where the pterygium was previously located is normal and generally a good sign. After the procedure, scar inhibitors (corticosteroids) are given in drop form and sometimes radiation is also applied. Despite treatment, in some cases (approximately 10%) the pterygium may return.
