What is corneal erosion or abrasion?

A corneal erosion or abrasion refers to a scratch or injury of the corneal epithelium.  These painful abrasions occur quite commonly from contact lenses, a baby's fingernail, tree limbs, bushes, or vigorous rubbing of the eye.  Corneal disease can also be a contributing factor.

For more information call Florida Eye Center at 727-895-2020.

How is this condition treated?

The most common treatment is to patch the eye tightly.  This allows the damaged epithelium to heal.  Patching also reduces the pain by preventing the blinking eyelid from irritating the affected area.  Since both eyes move together and the eye is most painful when it moves, it is often helpful to rest the other eye as well.

An antibiotic may be prescribed to prevent infection.  Anesthetic drops can relieve pain and facilitate examination but may keep the eye from healing properly if used repeatedly.

Occasionally, long after an abrasion has healed, it recurs spontaneously, often upon awakening in the morning.  Recurrent corneal erosions often require repeat patching or the use of ointments at bedtime.  Sometimes a soft bandage-type contact lens is used to facilitate healing.

For more information call Florida Eye Center at 727-895-2020.

If bacteria get into the tissues under the protective corneal epithelium, infection or a corneal ulcer can occur.  These complications can be very serious and cause loss of vision.

In the majority of cases, corneal erosion will heal completely.  But proper care by you and your ophthalmologist is necessary to help prevent serious consequences.

For more information call Florida Eye Center at 727-895-2020.

A corneal erosion or abrasion usually heals within a week.  It is important not to rub your eye while it is healing.  The new epithelium cells are fragile and can easily be rubbed off.  When this occurs, the pain returns and repatching is necessary.

For more information call Florida Eye Center at 727-895-2020.

Your eye may be anesthetized with an eyedrop so any dead tissue can be scraped away, forming a smooth surface that is a better base for healing.  This technique is called debridement.  A lubricating medication will be placed into the eye and the eye covered with a firm "pressure" bandage, which holds the eyelid still and keeps it from blinking.  The tightness of the patch aids healing and may also relieve your discomfort, although pain medication is sometimes necessary during the first few days of treatment.  You may use aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), or ibuprofen (Advil) for any mild discomfort.

In a day or so, the patch may be discontinued.  Because the cornea may stay swollen for a while, vision may be blurry.  Sometimes a "bandage contact lens" (a soft contact lens with no optical power) is placed in the eye (for days or weeks) to protect the corneal surface better.  Eyedrop medications may be used without removing the lens.

Note:  Do not expect to use the anesthetic drops at home, even though they make your eye feel much better.  The anesthetic effect wears off quickly, and repetitious use of such eyedrops is very dangerous to the eye.

For more information call Florida Eye Center at 727-895-2020.

Although a recurrent corneal erosion may happen only once, there is a possibility for future attacks.  You can help prevent recurrences by continuing to use artificial tears during the day and the lubricating eye ointment at bedtime for several weeks after an attack.  This will help prevent the newly healed parts of the cornea from sticking to the lid.  Experiment with different brands to find which are most comfortable for you.

Once you have been free of symptoms for a month or so, you may stop using the tears and ointment.  But if any symptoms begin to recur, such as minor eye pain or awakening, start using them again and call for an immediate appointment.  Some patients find that they need to continue using the ointment at bedtime indefinitely.

If you think you are having another recurrence, you should not self-diagnose and treat it yourself.  There are other corneal conditions (some of them are complications of recurrent erosion) that can cause similar symptoms and yet require a totally different type of treatment.

For more information call Florida Eye Center at 727-895-2020.

For more information call Florida Eye Center at 727-895-2020.

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