Eye Herpes

Not a lot of people are aware of it, but eye herpes (also known as ocular herpes) is a common health condition that anyone can contract.  The vast majority of people have never heard of this malady, but it’s actually pretty common.  Most people, of course, have heard the word herpes before and they tend to think of it as a sexually transmitted disease that affects genital areas.  But that’s only one form of the many different herpes viruses that are out there that people need to know about.  Cold sores around the mouth are another ailment that can be caused by the various kinds of herpes, and ocular herpes is another one.

Eye herpes is contracted through casual contact with another person who’s carrying the herpes virus, often, but not always, a person with a cold sore.  But not all people who are carriers of the herpes virus manifest symptoms, and even the ones who do don’t usually have any symptoms.  The virus can lay dormant for long periods of time without causing any symptoms at all.  So just because a person doesn’t’ have a cold sore, or an eye problem, doesn’t mean they can’t give you the herpes virus.  If they have it, they can give it to you, and it can spread to your eye.

If you’re one of the lucky ones,  it won’t cause any symptoms in you, either.  But many people aren’t lucky, and they experience eye difficulties as a result of contracting the virus.  They can range from mild to severe.  Some herpes infections only affect the top layer of the eyes, which can be uncomfortable, but doesn’t cause much damage.  If problems go deeper into the cornea, they can be more irritating, painful, and harmful.  The worst form is known as iridocyclitis, and can cause blurred vision and extreme light sensitivity, along with inflammation and pain.  If you suspect you have eye herpes, find out for sure, and get it treated before it gets worse.