The cornea is integral to good vision, helping the eye focus properly and causing the eyelids to close as an involuntary reflex. A healthy eye must have a healthy cornea. The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the pupil and the anterior structures of the eye.

It consists of proteins with essential nerve endings and high order of cells. It refracts the appropriate amount of light in the correct direction due to its transparency. You are likely to experience altered vision if this consistency changes slightly. If your cornea transparency reduces, you will have blurred vision.

Allergies

Eye allergies can affect anyone and are triggered by various things such as perfume, smoke, dander, mold, and dust. Some allergies like vernal keratoconjunctivitis can cause scarring of your cornea. It also leads to vision problems.

You are likely to experience eyelid swelling, watery discharge, burning, redness, itching, and tearing of the eyes. Your eye doctor can prescribe antihistamine drops and mast cell destabilizer medication.

Dry Eye

Dry eye is a common condition that most people experience. It is usually a persistent and painful condition that can cause ocular damage if left untreated. Tears are vital as they play a significant role in your eye health. They keep your eye surface moist and clean. They wash out irritants and dirt and prevent potential infection and damage caused by bacteria and injuries.

Lack of enough tears to moisturize the eyes increases your risk of eye infection and damage to your eye surface. Severe dryness can cause eye inflammation and abrasion to your corneal surface. Dry eyes can also cause corneal ulcers.

Infections

The cornea has no blood vessels to protect it from infections like most tissues. Infection can result from foreign objects, fungi, or bacteria from contaminated contacts. It can lead to painful inflammation and result in corneal scarring.

Chemical Injuries

Alkali and acidic chemicals can injure your cornea. Chemical injuries should get treated as a medical emergency needing quick interventions. It can cause extensive ocular surface damage that could cause permanent vision loss or disfigurement.

Foreign Bodies

A foreign body can scratch your cornea. Commonly, a foreign object, such as a piece of glass, dust, metal shaving, or a wood chip, gets stuck in your eye. The corneal scratch can become an ulcer if it does not heal.

Abrasions

Your cornea can get damaged due to abrasions resulting from scratching or cutting on the cornea. You can experience a gritty feeling, pain, photophobia, tearing, and a foreign body sensation.

Contact Lens Problems

Contact lenses are effective and safe for most people. However, they can sometimes cause corneal infection, inflammation, or abrasion. They can also cause corneal scarring or ulceration, leading to a temporary or permanent vision loss. Contact lenses can cause damage to your cornea due to trauma, allergic reaction to the contact lens material, or if it is not a right fit.

Ultraviolet Injuries

Exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun can affect your corneas. It can result in photokeratitis, a temporary and painful eye condition caused by exposure to UV rays from the sun. The exposure can cause temporary damage to your cornea.

You are likely to experience eye redness, pain, blurry vision, watery eyes, light sensitivity, and swelling. You can also experience headaches, twitching eyelids, seeing halos, and temporary vision loss.

For more about things that can damage the cornea, visit Raleigh Eye Center at our offices in Raleigh, Durham, Reidsville, Henderson, North Carolina, or South Hill, Virginia. You can also call (919) 876-2427 or (252) 492-8021 to book an appointment today.