Eye Infections and Inflammatory Eye Conditions

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[edit] Eye infections and inflammatory eye conditions

Eye infections are common. They can occur in the outer part of the eye (conjunctivitis, herpetic cornea infection etc.), in the eye lids, the lacrimal glands and ducts or within the eyeball itself (more serious). Here is a list of the more common eye infections. In it you also find links to more detailed explanations about these eye infections.

Various eye infections
Name:	Description:
allergic conjunctivitis	pollen allergies or toxic reactions can cause red and swollen eyes, can get infected subsequently ; Allergy shots
bacterial conjunctivitis	bacteria cause a pussy (yellow or greenish) eye discharge
bacterial cavernous sinus thrombosis	deep eye infections and sinus infections can go through the skull into the large veins around the brain, called cavernous sinuses
chalazion	chronic inflammation and swelling of the meibomian gland in the eye lid; can be treated with local corticosteroid injections; might need lancing after 6 weeks; antibiotic when superinfected
chlamydial / gonococcal conjunctivitis	in newborns these bacteria come from a contaminated birth canal; in adults they are sexually transmitted
corneal ulcer	various bacteria and viruses can cause it, here shown after fluorescein staining (greenish color in blue light); causes photophobia, tearing eyes and pain
herpes simplex keratitis	herpes simplex type I can affect the lips and the eyes, see the link for more info
herplex zoster ophthalmicus	herpes zoster eye infections can affect various structures of the eye (see links)
interstitial keratitis	often associated with uveitis, rare in the US, common in Africa. Syphilis (shown in the link), tuberculosis, leprosy and trachoma can all cause this serious condition
mycotic keratitis	infection of cornea with molds or yeasts (common in the southern US)
orbital cellulitis	a life threatening infection of the deep structures of the eye
stye (also called hordeolum)	there are two forms, a superficial and deep form. Anatomically the superficial form affects the glands of Zeis or Moll, which are close to the root of the eye lashes. This link shows the detailed anatomy of an upper eye lid.
viral conjunctivitis	a virus can cause pink eye, other viruses cause more severe infections
Top of table

[edit] Allergy shots for allergic conjunctivitis

Allergies can also cause chronic inflammatory conjunctivitis and chronic irritation of the eye lids.

Such patients need to be seen by an allergist to get a handle on the chronic situation, particularly when the allergies are year-round. In these cases desensitization against the allergens is advisable. This is done by way of allergy shots using the diluted serum of a concoction made up from the allergens against which the patient is allergic. This works amazingly well. I have seen children and adults with runny eyes that were halfway shut closed most of the year convert into individuals with normal looking eyes. No longer were they plagued by chronic tearing and itching. Milder cases can be carried through their allergic season with the non-tiring antihistamines. Ask your physician for further guidance in your case.

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Eye diseases

References:

1. The Merck Manual: Eye disorders

2. Eye conditions: http://www.stlukeseye.com/Conditions/

3. Karolinska Institute Library eye disease links

4. Ferri: Ferri's Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment, 2004 ed., Copyright © 2004 Mosby, Inc.

5. Rakel: Conn's Current Therapy 2004, 56th ed., Copyright © 2004 Elsevier