Share:
Infectious diseases Eye herpes can easily destroy our cornea
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), two out of three people are infected with herpesviruses. In some infected people there are regular outbreaks of herpes in the mouth. The pathogens can also affect other parts of the body, such as the cornea. The eye can be damaged quickly.
Many do not notice their infection
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) more than 85 percent of Germans are infected with herpes viruses, the majority does not even notice. The viruses often become active only through certain influences such as stress or strong sunlight and lead to the familiar blisters on the mouth. But in some people, the viruses also affect the cornea. The eye can then be damaged quickly.
Herpes on the lips know many. Herpesviruses can also affect the cornea. The eye can be damaged quickly. (Image: Birgit Reitz-Hofmann / fotolia.com) Often parents infect their children
Often it happens in infancy: parents transfer herpesviruses to the baby at bedtime kiss. This can be dangerous for certain groups of people: For newborns, herpes represents a deadly danger, because in some cases it can lead to inflammation of the brain.
The herpes viruses can also be really dangerous on the eye, and not only in small children.
The infection often goes unnoticed, reports the news agency dpa. However, the viruses then retract into the brain and strike again later.
Important to know: "There are two types of herpes simplex virus, type 1 and type 2. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV 1) is responsible for most cases of herpes in the face / lip area," writes the RKI on his website.
"Infection with HSV 1 (facial / lip area) can be as early as childhood through close physical contact e.g. between mother and child, between siblings or playmates, "say the experts.
Infection at the eye less common than at the lip
"The first infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 on the eye is less common than on the lip," said Prof. Thomas Reinhard, medical director of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Freiburg in the dpa message.
"If the viruses return to the eye, they can destroy the cornea within a short time."
The viruses lurk after the first infection in the brain, for example, that the carrier has a weakened immune system, and then return to the site of initial infection.
According to the information, the viruses in the eye usually infect the outer layer (epithelium) and inner layer (endothelium) of the cornea. The body responds to the infection with an immune response that also damages the cornea.
As it is called in the agency message, the cornea as a kind of windshield of the eye is actually responsible for protecting the interior of the eye. When it is destroyed, blindness threatens.
Eye sores often look like conjunctivitis
The problem is that the first infection with herpes on the eye is difficult to recognize. "A typical sign are blisters on the edge of the lid," explained Reinhard.
If parents observe something like this with their offspring, they must go to the ophthalmologist immediately. In some cases, with the help of medications, it can prevent an infection from returning later.
Herpes on the eye, however, usually looks like a conjunctivitis. The ophthalmologist often notices that they are herpes viruses when the infection returns.
People who are known to have eye sores should go to the specialist as soon as they have a slight redness or scratch it a bit. The infection is usually treated with acyclovir tablets or ointment and, in most cases, cortisone-containing ointment or drops.
As the message says, but not always put herpes simplex virus type 1 behind the disease. Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus and varicella-zoster virus can also affect the eye. (Ad)