Major stressors can often lead to a bout of eye herpes. If you suspect you have eye herpes, please contact Excellence Eye Care in Mississauga as soon as possible to prevent further complications. Left untreated, eye herpes can cause corneal ulcers and scarring, which may lead to permanent vision loss and even blindness. While eye herpes usually affects only one eye, it's not uncommon for both eyes to be infected. Swollen lymph nodes at the front of the ear.Various signs and symptoms are associated with eye herpes, such as:
Conjunctiva (the thin sheet of tissue covering the white part of your eye and the inside of your eyelids).Retina (the light-sensing sheet of cells in the back of your eye).Cornea (the clear layer on the front of your eye).How Does Eye Herpes Affect the Eyes?Įye herpes can affect many parts of the eye, such as: Eye herpes won't improve with antibiotics unless an antiviral is also used. Instead of self-treating an eye infection with antibiotics you have at home, get it examined by an eye doctor or physician, who can prescribe the right medication. Herpetic eye infections can be confused with other types of “pink eye”, such as bacterial or other viral infections. Flare-ups usually resolve on their own within 1−2 weeks, and many of them will recur within 10 years. It's not uncommon for HSV to reactivate months or even years after initially contracting the virus. Many people with eye herpes may not even know they have it, as it can remain dormant within the nervous system without causing any flare-ups. Ocular herpes tends to infect the cornea, causing inflammation, eye redness, tearing, and - in rare cases - vision loss. Once contracted, the virus stays in the body for life. People typically contract eye herpes by touching a cold sore and then touching the eyes with their contaminated fingers. Eye herpes affects approximately 1.5 million people around the world each year, and is one of the most common causes of infectious blindness in the USA and Canada. However, eye herpes can also be caused by the HSV-2 and herpes zoster viruses. Eye herpes, or HSV keratitis, is a common eye infection typically caused by type 1 herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), the same virus that causes cold sores around the mouth and lips.