American Medical Association Family Medical Guide - American Medical Association [733]
Your immune system may try to reject the new cornea. For this reason, your doctor will ask you to watch carefully for any signs of rejection, such as redness or pain in the eye, increased sensitivity to light, or reduced vision. If you have any of these symptoms, call your ophthalmologist immediately so that he or she can begin treatment to combat the immune system’s rejection of the transplanted cornea.
Watering Eye
A watering eye is an uncommon condition characterized by continuous tearing of the eye. Sometimes the condition occurs when a foreign object in the eye causes excessive tear formation. In other cases, a blocked nasolacrimal duct (the duct that drains tears from the eye into the nose), either as the result of an injury to the bone at the side of the nose or from long-term inflammation such as sinusitis (see page 651), prevents normal tear drainage. A blocked nasolacrimal duct can lead to an infection, as bacteria that would normally be washed from the eye build up inside the lacrimal sac. Watering eye usually occurs in people who are middle-aged or older.
Symptoms and Treatment
The symptoms of watering eye include excessive tearing and discharge from the eye. If an infection develops, redness and painful swelling occur on the affected side of the nose.
If the ophthalmologist finds a foreign object in the eye, he or she will remove the object, which should relieve the symptoms. If a nasolacrimal duct is blocked, the doctor may attempt to clear it by inserting a probe into the duct or by irrigating the duct with a sterile saline (saltwater) solution. If these measures are not effective, the doctor may recommend surgery to create an artificial nasolacrimal passageway that bypasses the blockage. If the blocked duct is infected, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics (in pills or in eyedrops) to clear up the infection before performing surgery.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis (also called pinkeye) is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the transparent membrane that covers the white of the eye and lines the eyelids (see page 127). Conjunctivitis is a common condition that can result from a bacterial or viral infection or from an allergy.
Both bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are extremely contagious and can be transmitted from eye to eye or to another person through contact with a contaminated finger, handkerchief, washcloth, or towel. Viral conjunctivitis is very common among young children and can occur with a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract such as a cold. Bacterial conjunctivitis occurs less often but can be more serious. Allergic conjunctivitis is caused by exposure to an allergen (such as pollen or cosmetics) that causes an allergic reaction in which the immune system produces antibodies (infection-fighting proteins) to attack the allergen.
If a pregnant woman is infected with the sexually transmitted disease genital herpes (see page 482), chlamydia (see page 477), or gonorrhea (see page 480), her newborn (up to about 3 days old) may develop a form of conjunctivitis called neonatal ophthalmia from coming into contact with the lining of the cervix during delivery. Neonatal ophthalmia is a potentially serious condition that can result in blindness if not treated.
Symptoms
In all forms of conjunctivitis, the normally clear conjunctiva turns pink or red and the eye feels gritty when you blink. The eye also has a discharge that forms a crust overnight. Bacterial conjunctivitis usually produces a thick, yellow discharge of pus; viral and allergic conjunctivitis usually produce a clear, watery discharge. Viral conjunctivitis also can cause a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes