CH 43, Infections and Inflammation of the Eye

Blepharitis 

Inflammation of the eyelid

S&S of blepharitis

• Grittiness

• Swelling

• Itching 

• Dry

• Photophobia 

cause of blepharitis

poor hygiene

Stye

Red bump on the eyelid caused by bacterial infection on root of the eyelash

how are styes treated?

with warm compresses and antibiotics

Conjunctivitis

aka pink eye, caused by viral, bacterial, or allergic reactions

S&S of conjunctivitis

red, swollen, itchiness, discharge

causes of conjunctivitis

easily transmitted by contaminated objects (like bedding)

What type of drainage comes from the eye with bacterial conjunctivits? 

Prululent and treated with antibiotics

What type of drainage comes from the eye with viral conjunctivitis?

Watery and treated wuth antivirals

patient teaching for conjunctivitis

• Avoid touching your eyes and wash hands frequently

• Make sure bed linens are clean

• Avoid direct contact with others

what is keratitis and what’s it caused by?

Inflammation of the cornea, caused by herpes simplex virus

Ancathamoeba keratitis 

local infection, can happen if contact lenses are contaminated with amoeba

what is dacrosystitis and what’s the treatment?

Inflammation of the lacrimal sac that’s treated with antibiotics, and may occur in newborns

S&S of dacrosystitis

• Fever common

• Eye pain

• red

• watery

• prululent exudate

what is scleritis and what often accompanies it?

Inflammation of the sclera, often accompanied by an autoimmune disorder

S&S of scleritis

• Severe eye pain that radiates to the eyebrow or the temple

• Photophobia

• Tearing with discharge 

• Eye tenderness

Corneal abrasion 

Damage of epithelial surface of the cornea, is the most common type of eye injury that usually heals within 24 hrs

what is a risk factor for corneal abrasion?

wearing contact lenses

Diagnosis and treatment for corneal abrasion

slit lamp used to detect defect in the cornea and antibiotics are used to prevent infection

S&S of corneal abrasion

• include pain

• redness

• tearing

• blurred vision

Entrotropian

when the eyelid turns inward and irritates the eye

Ectotropian

when the yelid turns outward and irritates the eye

how is ectrotrpian and entrotropian treated

with artificial tears or surgery

Exopthalmos

Bulging of the eyes, often caused by hyperthyroidism, which can compress the optic nerve 

treatment for exophthalmos

with corticosteroids or surgery and eyedrops to help with dryness

Myopia 

Aka nearsightedness; problems with seeing things far away, but able to see close objects better 

cause of myopia

caused by elongated eyeball and/or overly curved cornea; when this happens the image is focused more in front of the retina

how can myopia be corrected?

with concave lenses to enable lens to focus on retina

• Lens generally thicker on the edges

Hyperopia 

Aka farsightedness; problems with seeing things close up, but can see far objects better

cause of hyperopia

caused by short eyeball and/or flat cornea; when this happens, the image is focused behind the retina

how is hyperopia corrected?

with convex lenses to enable lens to focus on the retina

• Lens is thicker in the center

Presbyopia

Decrease in the elasticity of the lens of the eye, generally seen in aging 

• Individuals in 40s and 50s may need reading glasses

Astigmatism

Abnormal shaped lens or cornea causes a blurry image that can’t be focused correctly on the retina

S&S of astigmatism

may be asymptomatic

• blurred vision

• eye strain

• headache

how is an astigmatism corrected?

with cylindrically curved lens

Amblyopia

Aka lazy eye, usually presents in children, and usually just one eye  

S&S of amblyopia

• poor visual acuity

• eye strain

• squinting while reading

how is amblyopia corrected?

by patching the good eye to strengthen and train the weaker eye 

strabismus

cross eyed

Color blindness

Person generally sees colors that appear grey; red/green combo is more common, and it’s most common in males

how is colorblindness treated?

there is no treatment

Blindness 

Vision that can’t be corrected to better than 20/200

Assessment methods for eye assessments include…

• Exam of pupil and extraocular movements help assess neurological system 

• Snellen chart

• PERRLA 

• 6 cardinal fields 

• Corneal reflection

• Fundoscopic exam with the opthalmascope

how is a snellen chart used?

Make sure the chart is 20 feet away (or arm’s length) and cover one eye; then read the letters until the smallest line you’re able to see; each eye gets a score of (ex) 20/40, indicating that what a normal person can see at 20 feet, you see at 40 feet

PERRLA

• Pupils

• Equal

• Round

• Reactive to light (shine a light near/in the eye and see if both pupils react)

• Accommodation (have person focus on a pen and move it closer to their eyes, if they converge, they accommodate)

Diagnostics for eye problems include…

• tonometry

  • puff of air shot into the eye to test pressure

• slit lamp exam

  • high intensity light beam shined into the eye to detect abnormalities

Surgical treatments for eye problems include…

• Lasik

  • Can correct astigmatism, hyperopia, and myopia

• PRK

  • AKA advanced surface ablation

both used to reshape cornea