Ever heard of the terms pink eye or conjunctivitis? Well, keratoconjunctivitis is a slightly more complex condition. It occurs when inflammation affects two vital parts of the eye at once: the cornea (the clear layer at the front of the eyeball) and the conjunctiva (the thin membrane lining the white of the eye and the inner eyelid).
Both are our eyes' defenses against dust and germs. If both become inflamed together, the eyes will not only become red, but they can also be very painful and even threaten vision.
How is it different from ordinary eye pain?
Common eye infections (conjunctivitis) generally only cause red, itchy, and watery eyes without affecting vision. However, if it affects the cornea (keratitis), you may experience:
- Sharp eye pain.
- Vision begins to blur or become blurry.
- Sensation like there is sand stuck in the eye.
- The eyes are very sensitive to light.
Why Could This Happen?
The causes are diverse, so treatment cannot be done haphazardly. Some of the main triggers are:
- Infection: Can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi.
- Allergy: A reaction to dust, pollen, or chemicals.
- Physical Injury: Entry of foreign objects such as metal fragments, sand, or scratches into the eye.
Treatment Options: From Eye Drops to Transplants
An ophthalmologist will usually determine treatment based on the exact cause. Here are two main methods frequently performed at leading medical centers:
1. Use of Special Eye Drops
This is the most common first step.
- Advantages: Practical and targeted. There are antibiotic eye drops for bacteria, anti-fungal eye drops, and steroid eye drops for severe allergy relief.
- Disadvantages: If the bacterial infection is resistant to common antibiotics, treatment can take a long time and be difficult to cure.
2. Corneal Transplantation
If the condition is very severe, for example the cornea is badly injured, perforated, or the infection is no longer responsive to medication, the doctor may recommend a corneal transplant.
- Advantages: Replacing damaged tissue with a healthy cornea from a donor. This is a powerful solution for saving sight and preventing serious infections.
- Disadvantages: As with any surgery, there is a risk of bleeding or infection. There's also the possibility of the body "rejecting" the new tissue (a rejection reaction), which is characterized by a return of redness and pain.
Recovery Period
- Drops: Duration of use depends on the doctor's instructions, it can be from days to weeks.
- Transplant Surgery: Usually requires a hospital stay of around 2-3 nights. Patients are also advised not to fly immediately after surgery to maintain pressure on the eyeball.
Choosing a hospital with international standards (such as JCI accreditation) is crucial for eye care, as precise procedures are key to successfully restoring your vision. Our hospital, EMC Tangerang Hospital, guarantees that your keratoconjunctivitis treatment meets the highest safety and quality standards in the world.
EMC Tangerang Hospital offers superior eye health services, specifically the treatment of keratoconjunctivitis . Our ophthalmologists are ready to assist with the latest medical technology and safe, minimal-risk procedures. We are here not only as a medical team, but as a companion on your journey of recovery, from initial examination to complete recovery.
This article was written by Dr. Rizki Rahma Nauli, Sp.M (Ophthalmologist at EMC Hospital, Tangerang).