Symptoms and Complications
Obviously, with so many possible causes, the symptoms of eye infection can
vary a lot. What a person feels generally depends more on where the infection
is rather than on what's causing it.
Common symptoms of keratitis and other frontal eye infections are:
- pain, itching, or sensation of a foreign body in the eye
- photosensitivity (aversion to bright light)
- redness or small red lines in the white of the eye
- discharge of yellow pus that may be crusty on waking up - a possible sign
of bacterial infection
- tears
- swollen eyelids
- constant involuntary blinking (blepharospasm)
Unfortunately, diseases that damage the retina, the optic nerve, or the blood
vessels that feed them often cause no pain at all. The primary symptom is
deteriorating vision, which is usually stoppable but not reversible. That's
why it's vital to get your eyes checked regularly. One possible symptom of internal
eye damage is floaters, tiny fragments in the liquid inside the eye. You see
tiny bubbles slowly falling through your line of vision. Everyone has a few
floaters - you should only worry if you notice a sudden increase in them.
Almost all eye infections accompany disease in some other part of the body,
even if it's just a cold. Some but not all of these diseases have clear symptoms.
Be on the lookout for eye pain or visual symptoms if you have any of the diseases
listed in the "Causes" section of this article.
Serious complications of eye infection include damage to the retina and the
formation of scars and ulcers in the cornea that can obstruct vision. Some infections,
like syphilis, can also provoke glaucoma. Moreover, eye problems are often the
only visible symptom of wider infections. Chlamydia, for example, often causes
no genital symptoms, but can cause infertility and heart damage if left untreated.