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Eye Infections

Eye infections are eye conditions which occur when bacteria, fungi, parasites, or viruses infect the eye. Some infections only affect one eye whilst others affect both eyes. There are various different types of eye infections with different causes and treatment. Some eye infections are common, whilst others are rare.

Eye infections may occur in many different ways and depending on which part of the eye did the infection occur. You may get symptoms in the eyelid, the cornea and the conjunctiva. You may experience symptoms in either one or both eyes. The symptoms may be:

• Pain or discomfort
• Itchy eyes
• Irritation in your eye, like there is something on or in it
• Sore eyes when it is bright
• Burning sensation
• Small yet painful lump under your eyelid or at the base of your eyelashes
• Tender eyelid when you touch it
• Eyes tearing a lot
• Eye discharge
• Dry eyes
• Swollen eyes

There are different types of eye infections, namely:

• Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis. Pink eye is a common eye infection that is highly contagious.
• This is infection occurs when there is an inflammation of the cornea, which is caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites in water. This is common in people that wear contact lenses.
• This is an infection which occurs when your oil glands in your eyelid or eyelashes get infected by bacteria. You then start developing painful red bumps under your eyelid or at the base of your eyelashes.
• Fungal eye infections. These infections are rare, but when you get infected by fungus, it may be severe. They occur when your eye gets scraped by something from a plant like a stick or a thorn, and it is also possible to get fungal eye infections if your wear eye contact lenses and you don’t clean them properly.
• Uveitis. This is an eye infection where the middle layer of your eye, called the uvea, gets inflamed. This occurs due to viruses such as herpes and is commonly associated with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

When you experience the eye infection symptoms, it is advisable to see Dr Davey for diagnosis and treatment. The ophthalmologist will prescribe antibiotic eye drops, eye ointments and compresses to help clear up the eye infection.  In cases where the eye infection is severe, antiviral eye drops and antibiotics will be prescribed for you. If the inflammation doesn’t go down, you are advised to see Dr Davey immediately.