Dr. Priya Rajput

Antrior most transparent layer of the eye is called cornea. It is an extremely useful layer for refraction and protection of eye.

Any trauma, foreign body or chemical etc can invade the integrity of this layer and can be invaded by bacteria, fungus or virus, resulting in the corneal ulcer. Sometimes, due to hypoxia induced by contact lenses too can result in a corneal ulcer.

Depending on clinical presentation, a doctor diagnoses the cause of the ulcer and start the therapy. Since the transparency of cornea is very important, a doctor starts very intensive therapy. With repeated frequent checkups if a proper and intensive therapy is not given, the ulcer can progress and can cause collection of pus in the anterior chamber which if not attended properly, can cause the infection to travel into the interior of the eyeball (vitreous chamber) resulting in total blindness. The ulcer can become deeper and lead to perforation of the cornea, causing severe damage to the eye and may require removal of pus (evisceration) or total removal of the eye ball.

Generally, fungal ulcers are more dangerous and occur mostly in rainy season.

It is imperative that a case of corneal ulcer is diagnosed promptly and very intensive treatment proper treatment is given to save the disfigurement of the eye and total irreparable blindness.

At times we have not only to give topical drops but oral therapy has to be given. Injections in the eye have to be given. Culture sensitivity has to be done in severe cases to identify the causative organism.

In extremely severe cases, we have to perform, therapeutic keratoplasty.

Conclusion: Corneal Ulcer is a serious challenging problem with the potentiality to cause total and irreparable blindness and must be attended promptly by a very expert ophthalmologist to save the eye.

In today’s world, most of the work that you do is on your computer. With an increasingly digitized world, computers can’t be replaced. Though they have made your work easier, they do come with certain disadvantages as well. The rays emitted by a computer screen can be harmful to your eyes if exposed for an extended duration.

It is important that you take certain precautionary measures to protect your eyes:

1. Wash your eyes: Wash your eyes on a regular basis; it facilitates cooling and relaxation of the eyes. Make it a routine to wash your eyes at least 5 to 6 times in a day.

2. Get computer glasses: Use computer glasses to protect your eyes as they help to minimize the effect of the radiation from the screen. If you work for long hours in front of the computer, then you should consider getting a pair of computer glasses.

3. The position of your screen: The screen should ideally be positioned at an arm’s length and the viewing angle of the monitor should be around 35 degrees. Make sure you position your chair accordingly keeping these tips in mind.

4. Eye exercise: You should exercise your eyes to reduce the strain and relax your eyes. Follow the 20-20 rule wherein after working on your computer for 20 minutes, you redirect your gaze to an object that is around 20 feet away. This helps your eye muscles to relax and thus, improves your eye health.

5. Don’t work at a stretch: Take breaks in between your work sessions to reduce fatigue in your eyes. Constantly staring at a screen for an extended amount of time can cause problems in your eye. Take 2 minute breaks for every 30 minutes you spend working on your computer. This helps to reduce the strain on your eyes also helps to release tension in the muscles of the neck and back.

6. Blink more than usual: Blinking moistens your eyes and causes tear production which does not allow the eye to suffer from dryness. It also prevents eye irritation and helps in clearing out dirt from the eyes. If you wish to discuss about any specific eye problem, you can consult a specilized opthamologist and ask a free question.