The cornea is the outer most layer of the eye. It is a dome shaped structure covering the entire eye. The main function of the eye is to protect it from the dust and germs present in the atmosphere. It also acts window for the eye and focuses the entry of light in the eye.
This focusing of the light in the eye gets disturbed when the there is some injury to cornea or some infection gets hampers the proper functioning of the same. Corneal diseases are the conditions in which the vision gets blurred and cornea have a cloudy covering over it, this condition in acute situation can result in blindness.
Types Of Corneal Diseases:
There are basically three types of corneal diseases. These are:
- Keratoconus: It is the condition in which thinning and weakening of the central cornea takes place. In this condition the cornea attains a conical shape which represents the deformity. The progress in this deformity can be rapid, gradual or intermittent. The condition of Keratoconus is found either in a single eye or in both the eyes. Usually the condition is noticed in single eye only.
- Fuch’s endothelial dystrophy: This condition is a hereditary deformity. This condition is found in the inner layer of the cornea which is known as endothelium. The function of endothelium is to pump fluids out of the cornea so that it can remain thin and crystal clear for the vision. When the abnormality arrives in this layer the movement of the fluids out of the cornea gets hampered thus resulting in the swelling of the cornea. Swelling is followed by the unclear vision and cloudiness in the cornea.
- Bullous keratopathy: It is the condition which results in the permanent selling of the cornea. This swelling caused because the endothelium layer which is the inner most layer of the cornea is permanently damaged. As the result of this, movement of the fluids out of the cornea is not taking place. Thus, resulting in the swelling of the cornea.
