CT Corneal Specialist on Herpes Eye Infections

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

CT Corneal Specialist on Herpes Eye Infections

Fairfield County Connecticut Corneal Specialist Leslie Doctor, M.D. commented on Herpes Simplex eye infections. “My patients with ocular herpes eye infections are often somewhat surprised to learn that this type of corneal eye infection affects many more people each year than one might think. Ocular Herpes or Herpes of the eye is caused by the Herpes Simplex virus and is the most common causes of corneal blindness in the United States today,” stated Dr. Leslie Doctor, of Doctor & Associates with offices in Westport, Norwalk and Wilton, Connecticut. “Patients need to be aware that as many as 50% of people who have an initial Herpes Simplex viral infection of the eye will experience a flare up or recurrence and sometimes this can leads to irreversible scarring of the cornea requiring a cornea transplant.”

Ocular Herpes may start as a painful sore on the eyelid or surface of the eye.  If left untreated, it may multiply and begin to destroy epithelial cells and progress deeper into the Cornea. If the Ocular Herpes penetrates the deeper layers of the Cornea and causes a Stromal Keratitis it may cause corneal scarring-so prompt diagnosis and treatment of Ocular Herpes is important.

It is estimated that 400,000 people in the United States have had some type of ocular herpes, with more than 50,000 initial and recurring cases being diagnosed each year. Of these, it is believed that 25% are the more severe form of Herpes Stromal Keratitis. The recurrence of Herpes Simplex eye infections is significant in that it appears to recur in about 10% of patients with one year, 23% of patients within two years and 63% of patients within 20 years of their initial infection. Sometimes a recurrence can be prompted by sunlight, stress, fevers or an unrelated eye injury. Quick diagnosis and treatment is the key to avoiding corneal scarring, vision loss and the possible need for a corneal transplant.

If you or someone you know is experiencing any signs or symptoms of corneal infection-especially if they have had any trauma to their eyes-please call Doctor & Associates-203-227-4113 and request an immediate appointment.

Doctor & Associates is a leading Fairfield County Connecticut eye care practice providing eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses and optical services. For those patients in need of eye surgery, as a founding member of the Wilton Surgery Center, Doctor & Associates eye surgeons are able to provide eye surgery in a convenient, close to home and cost effective ambulatory surgery center. Whatever your eye care, eye health or vision correction needs might be-Doctor & Associates can serve as a Connecticut ophthalmic consultant and will be conveniently located for patients from Fairfield County and southern Connecticut including Danbury, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Norwalk, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Cannondale, Aspetuck, Redding, Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Darien, Glenbrook and Ridgefield Connecticut.