This condition is more concerning to eye doctors because it can cause scarring on the cornea, which can permanently affect a person’s vision. If eye herpes affects the deeper layers of the cornea, it is known as stromal keratitis. This condition is known as epithelial keratitis. Laboratory testing for HSV of the eye is uncommon.įor the most part, eye herpes affects the transparent front part of the eye. They may also need to inspect the deeper eye layers. If the infection has reached the deeper layers of the eye, they will need to use special instruments to measure the eye pressure.

These professionals can usually diagnose eye herpes by looking at the sores. HSV causes dendrites, a branching pattern, on the cornea, so the examination may involve a special microscope known as a slit lamp to visualize the eye’s surface and, potentially, the eyelid. The ophthalmologist will conduct a physical examination of the eye. They may ask when the person first noticed their symptoms and if anything makes them worse or better. Ophthalmologists, or eye doctors, diagnose herpetic eye disease by taking someone’s medical history and asking about their symptoms. This causes vesicles, small blisters, on the forehead and scalp, which can spread to the eye on the same side.Īnother condition that can have similar symptoms is pinkeye, which is also known as conjunctivitis. Reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus can cause herpes zoster, also known as shingles.

HSV symptoms affecting the eye may be similar to those of the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox. Typically, eye herpes does not cause a lot of pain, even though a person’s eye may look painful. If the herpes virus affects the cornea, the inside of the eye, or the retina, a person may experience changes to their vision. The blisters will form crusts that usually heal within 3–7 days. Sometimes, people may also experience herpes sores on top of the eyelids. the feeling of something being in the eye.Some of the symptoms depend on the affected part of the eye. These can occur in both eyes, but they may affect one eye more than the other. When a person gets herpetic eye disease, they can experience a variety of symptoms.

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