Corneal Conditions in Sedalia, MO

The cornea is what protects your eye from dust, germs, and other debris. It is also a UV filter that protects your eye from ultraviolet rays and can control how much light is able to enter the eye. Additionally, the cornea bends light when it hits it, refracting the light onto the retina. Sedalia Eye Associates helps individuals in Smithton, Warrensburg, and surrounding Missouri communities care for their ocular health with best-in-class treatments for a wide range of vision issues, including cornea conditions. For more information or to schedule a comprehensive eye exam, contact our Sedalia or Warsaw, MO office today.

There are a variety of cornea conditions that can occur. Some of the most common cornea conditions we see and treat at Sedalia Eye Associates include:

Keratitis: Keratitis occurs when the cornea becomes damaged due to an infection or inflammation. This condition can cause pain, redness, itchy eye, blurred vision, a tear-like discharge, and can erode the cornea. If scarring occurs, it could alter your vision and may end up leading to a corneal transplant.

Dry Eye: Dry eye occurs when the eye doesn't produce enough tears to keep the eyes moist. This leads to discomfort, a sandy feeling, and more. There is a wide range in severity of dry eye, from simply not producing enough tears to causing a serious disease to the surface of the eye. This issue should be addressed and treated right away in order to avoid more serious complications.

Corneal Dystrophies: If you're experiencing clouding of the cornea, it could be one of 20 or more corneal dystrophies. While some are minor and only caught during a routine eye exam, others can cause pain or more serious issues. Some common dystrophies include:

• Fuchs' dystrophy: This leads to swelling of the cornea and may require a corneal transplant
• Keratoconus: This could require corneal collagen cross-linking, rigid contact lenses, or, in severe cases, a corneal transplant
• Granular dystrophy
• Lattice dystrophy
• Map-Dot-Fingerprint (anterior basement membrane) dystrophy

Herpes Simplex: Herpes simplex is a common virus that causes cornea pitting, ulceration, inflammation, high eye pressure, scarring, and even damage to other parts of the eye.

Shingles: Shingles is another herpes virus, and it causes issues to the cornea, such as inflammation, scarring, ulceration, and more.

Pterygium: Pterygium occurs when scar tissue from the white part of the eye develops onto the cornea. This can lead to cloudy vision, astigmatism, and corneal warpage. The tissue can be removed, a graft performed, and medication is available to prevent the regrowth of the scarring.

The cornea is a complex part of the eye and plays a vital role in vision. It needs to stay clear in order for our vision to stay clear. If you've suffered an injury to the eye, an infection, or a disease, it's important to have your ocular health and corneal health evaluated. Our eye specialists have a vast knowledge of corneal conditions and use state-of-the-art techniques and treatments to help your ocular health remain optimal. For more information or to schedule a comprehensive eye exam, contact Sedalia Eye Associates in Sedalia or Warsaw, MO .