What is keratitis?

4 May 2021

It is an eye condition where there is inflammation of the cornea caused by viral, bacterial, parasitic, or fungal infections.

Also, keratitis may not be related to infections, but rather due to eye injuries from wearing contact lenses too long without rest periods or from the effect of debris or objects in the eyes.

It is important to diagnose and attend promptly to minimize damage and avoid serious complications that irreversibly affect sight or even cause its loss.

Signs and symptoms Keratitis

It is characterized by:

Eyelid irritation and pain.
Blurred vision.
Decreased visual ability.
Photosensitivity.
Feeling that you have a piece of garbage or a foreign object in your eye.
Bloodshot eyes
Eye pain.
Teary eyes.

Potential risks:

Using contact lenses for long periods.
Weakened immune system.
Application of corticosteroids.
Previous eye damage or injury.

When keratitis is not treated, a series of serious complications can be triggered, such as:

Recurrence of corneal infections.
Corneal ulcers
Temporary or permanent decrease in visual capacity.
Chronic inflammatory processes in the cornea.
Corneal scarring.
Loss of sight.

Diagnosis and treatment Keratitis

Once your ophthalmologist analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, they will perform an eye exam to measure your visual acuity and detect any corneal damage you may have. Similarly, a sample of tears or corneal tissue can be taken to identify the source of the keratitis. The treatment will depend on the type of keratitis you suffer from, the intensity of the symptoms, and its direct cause:

Non-infectious:

Ophthalmic drugs.
Eye patch.

Infectious:

Bacterial: ophthalmic and oral antibiotics depending on the severity of the infection.
Fungal: ophthalmic and oral antifungals.
Viral: ophthalmic and oral antivirals.
Parasitic: an antibiotic protocol is followed when it is produced by acanthamoeba, but if this does not work, the option is a corneal transplant.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Related centers and departments Keratitis

Internal medicine
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

imo.es
aao.org
medlineplus.gov
mayoclinic.org
msdmanuals.com
medigraphic.com
Esteriz MN, Taboada TA, Aponte GM, et al. Auriculoterapia en pacientes con queratitis punteada superficial. MediSan. 2020;24(03):396-405.
Cueva-Nieves DA, Arana-Gacía M. Queratitis herpética bilateral: Reporte de un caso. Acta Cient Estud. 2010;8(2):45-47.
Martínez PS. Rosa de Bengala como mediador en la terapia fotodinámica para tratar la queratitis. Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd. 2020;39(4):1-4.
Babayán-Sosa A, Baca-Lozada O. Epiteliopatía corneal por alteración sensitiva: queratitis neurotrófica. Rev Mex Oftalmol. 2018;92(3):117-122.

How can we help you?

The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.

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Comparison of COVID-19 vaccines

Pfizer-
BioNTech

Pfizer-BioNTech

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 95% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

No Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 16 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 14 days of having the complete scheme (after the administration of the 2nd dose), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

Moderna

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 94.5% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 28 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 18 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes in the arm in which you received the injection.

Janssen/
Johnson
& Johnson

Janssen/ Johnson & Johnson

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 72.0% in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.
85% in the prevention of severe COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives./strong>

How many doses are needed?
Only one dose in needed.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 28 days of having the complete scheme (the last dose applied), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from 85% serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

AstraZeneca
and
Oxford
University

AstraZeneca and Oxford University

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 82% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 56 days apart (or up to 84 days apart, if necessary).

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and fever, which were mild to moderate in intensity and disappeared within 48 hours of vaccination.

Sputnik V

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 92% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

What is keratitis?

Signs and symptoms Keratitis

Diagnosis and treatment Keratitis

Related centers and departments Keratitis

Fuentes:

Index

Specialist in Keratitis