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Second Chances: The Role Of Optometrists In Eye Care

Hello. My name is Adreana and I am in charge of a second chance school for troubled students. One of the first steps we take upon enrolling students in our program is a health assessment. Whilst the students have a range of learning difficulties and health problems, one particular issue seems to come up regularly. Most of them have never had a proper eye check. Our school now works with an optometrist and I am amazed by the number of undiagnosed eyesight problems our students have. Whilst most simply end up with prescription glasses, one student actually had cataracts! My appreciation of the role of optometrists in ensuring eye health has increased greatly. I have started this blog to share my knowledge about eye problems and how optometrists help. I hope you find something of interest.

 

Second Chances: The Role Of Optometrists In Eye Care

Corneal Abrasions Explained

29 December 2020
 Categories: , Blog

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The cornea is the transparent protective layer across the front of your eyes that has an outer layer of epithelium cells. The cornea plays a vital role in directing light to the back of your eye, where it is processed into the images you see.  A corneal abrasion is characterised by damage to the epithelium layer and can allow bacteria to infect your eye or cause changes in your vision. An abrasion can be a minor scratch or a significant tear, and common causes include tree branches, chemical burns from cleaning products, workplace debris and very dry eyes, which can cause damage to the corneal cells due to your eyelid sticking to the cornea when you are asleep. Here's an overview of the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment approach for corneal abrasions:

Symptoms

Common symptoms of a corneal abrasion include eye pain, sensitivity to light and localised redness. You may also experience blurred vision or visual disturbances as a result of changes to the angle light enters your eye and reaches the retina at the back of your eye. Additionally, visual changes can leave some sufferers experiencing headaches.

Diagnosis And Treatment Approach

Your optometrist can determine if you have a corneal abrasion by carrying out a thorough eye exam using a slit lamp. This is similar to a microscope and allows your optometrist to see intricate details and magnified images of the front of your eye. It may also be necessary to swab the cornea and analyse the epithelium cells for the presence of bacteria if your eye is showing signs of being infected.

Your optometrist will recommend a course of treatment dependent on the severity of the abrasion and your symptoms. Lubricating eye drops may be provided to keep your eye moist, which will help the cornea to heal and can help reduce inflammation. If there are signs of a bacterial infection, antibiotic eye drops will be required, and a course of oral antibiotics may also be necessary. If you have a deep abrasion, corticosteroids can be used to speed up healing by bringing down inflammation quickly. Deep abrasions that take a while to heal can leave you with scar tissue on your cornea, and this can alter your vision permanently. In this situation, you may need glasses with a prism in the lens to correct your vision. A prism is a thin layer of glass that alters the angle light enters your eye to allow you to experience clear vision.  

If you have symptoms associated with corneal abrasion, or if your eye has been scratched or irritated by an environmental substance, schedule an appointment with your optometrist as soon as possible to prevent unnecessary discomfort or damage to your vision.