Corneal Health in Lake Worth, FL

The cornea is a transparent cover that goes over the front part of the eye. This important eye structure helps refract and bend light, enabling patients to see without any issues. Unfortunately, certain cornea related diseases can impact the integrity of your cornea’s top layer, such as keratitis, corneal dystrophy, lesions, illnesses, ulcers, foreign body removal, and scar tissue. Each of these conditions may cause uncomfortable symptoms and impact your overall vision. At Palm Beach Eye Center in Lake Worth, FL and Delray Beach, FL, our cornea specialists can provide diagnosis for cornea issues and surgery of cornea.

The symptoms of cornea damage may vary from patient to patient based on severity. In general, the common symptoms pointing to cornal disease or a corneal abrasion may include the following:

• Sensitivity to light
• Distorted or blurry vision
• Inflammation in both or one eye
• Eye irritation or redness
• Eye pain or discomfort
• Corneal scarring

Understanding the specific causes of corneal diseases is crucial for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatments. Corneal diseases can result from several factors, including:

• Bacterial, viral, or fungal infections that can cause damage and inflammation
• Scratches, injuries, or other traumas
• Genetic predispositions
• Poor eye care

Corneal diseases are diagnosed through a comprehensive eye examination by an ophthalmologist, such as those at Palm Beach Eye Center. This includes a detailed patient history, visual acuity tests, and a slit-lamp examination to assess the cornea's surface. Additional diagnostic tests, such as corneal topography or pachymetry, may be used to measure the cornea's shape and thickness. In some cases, a fluorescein dye test is performed to highlight any corneal damage or irregularities.

During a consultation, we'll take the first steps to determine your issue and provide eye care solutions based on your condition. To detect if you have a problem, our eye doctors may complete a diagnostic test using fluorescein dye to better understand the damage. Once we have an underlying cause, our team will create a personalized treatment plan, which outlines your procedure's cost and provides detail. At Palm Beach Eye Center, our group proudly offers several innovative treatments, including:

• Lamellar keratectomy eliminates and cleans damaged parts of the top portion of your cornea. Our ophthalmologists utilize a specialized brush or fine tool to carefully eliminate abnormal cells from your cornea. Next, we carefully reshape and gently buff the surface for smoothness. This is an effective scratched eye treatment and treatment for other cornea-related diseases.
• Corneal foreign body removal withdraws foreign objects from the eye, like sand, glass, or sawdust, which has become stuck in the corneal tissue. With the help of a sterile spud or other ophthalmic devices, our Lake Worth, FL eye doctors gently take out the foreign body and repair the corneal layer.

After a corneal scraping or foreign body removal, patients may need to wear a soft contact lens, which protects and provides comfort as the cornea heals. We will go over your aftercare instructions in detail.

How do I improve my corneal health?

One of the main ways is to eat well. This includes eating salmon, tuna, and oily fish for the omega-3 fatty acids, eggs, nuts and beans, and green leafy vegetables. Quitting smoking and wearing sunglasses can also significantly improve corneal health. Talk to our eye doctors for more information on how diet can improve your eye health.

What can damage the cornea?

Cornea damage can be caused by many things. From eye infections to abrasions, anything is possible. It is important to contact us at Palm Beach Eye Center if you suspect anything is wrong. For example, an eye infection that has been left untreated can cause blindness if not dealt with in a timely manner.

Can the cornea heal itself?

The cornea can recover from minor injuries. These include minor scratches. However, deeper scratches won't be able to heal on their own. You may experience pain, effects on your vision, redness, and sensitivity to light.

Does it hurt to have foreign objects removed from your cornea?

Because this is a common procedure, our eye doctors are very skilled and safe. Our team will work with you to provide any numbing cream necessary or talk you through the process before removing any foreign object before doing so. In general, we will do everything we can to make sure that the process doesn't hurt.

For patients who experience corneal foreign body removal or corneal disease, we highly recommend working with a Lake Worth, FL ophthalmologist who specializes in this type of eye treatment. If you have questions about lamellar keratectomy or another corneal treatment, please schedule an appointment at Palm Beach Eye Center. Our eye center group can help you with insurance coverage or payment plans — so you can receive the best quality care without having to worry about a budget.