Corneal Ulcer

GENERAL INFORMATION:

What is it? A corneal (kor-nee-ull) ulcer is an open sore on the cornea (kor-nee-uh). The cornea is the thin, colorless covering of the eye. With treatment, it is usually cured in 2 to 3 weeks. Without treatment, you could have long-term vision (seeing) problems. It is a serious eye problem.

Causes: An injury to your eye like a poke or a scratch may cause an ulcer. Contact lenses, infection (in-fek-shun), or an eye injury can cause a corneal ulcer. It may also be caused by your eyelid not closing as it should. Sometimes, the virus that causes cold sores around the mouth also causes corneal ulcers.

Signs and Symptoms: You may have bad eye pain, blurred vision, tearing, or jerking of your eyelid. Bright light may hurt your eyes. The white of your eye may be red and you may have clear, yellow, or green-colored fluid coming from your eye.

Care: Your caregiver may give you eye medicine to treat the corneal ulcer. Follow your caregiver's orders carefully. Otherwise, the ulcer may go through the cornea and allow the infection to enter the eyeball. This could cause permanent loss of vision (seeing).Your caregiver may have you use cool or warm compresses to help relieve your pain.

• Wash your hands often and dry them with a clean towel. Do not touch your eyes with your fingers. This will help prevent infections from happening.
  
  
• Rest your eyes as much as possible until the infection is gone.
  
  
  • Do not read or watch television for long periods of time.
    
    
  • Wear dark glasses to protect your eyes from bright light.

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

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