Understanding herpes eye disease

What causes herpes eye disease?

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 most often causes herpes eye disease. HSV type 2 rarely causes eye symptoms. It more often causes genital herpes infections.

If you have herpes eye disease, it means you were infected by HSV at some point. When it happened, you likely did not have any symptoms. But once the herpes virus is in your body, it stays there for life. It is often in a dormant state. This means it does not always cause any problems or symptoms. But sometimes the virus will become active and cause symptoms. This often happens in 1 set of nerves. If nerves to your eye are affected, symptoms of herpes eye disease can occur.

How can herpes affect the eye?

Most people infected with the herpes virus have no symptoms. Or they may have mild symptoms, such as a cold sore around the mouth that spreads to the eye. If the virus grows and becomes active, herpes eye disease can occur. Herpes eye disease can affect and damage different parts of your eye, such as:

• Your eyelids

• The clear layer on the front of your eye (cornea)

• The thin layer covering the inside of your eyelids and the white part of your eye (conjunctiva)

Less often, it can also affect:

• The light-sensitive part of the back of the eye (retina)

• The white part of your eye (sclera)

• The colored ring on the front of your eye (iris)

What are the symptoms of herpes eye disease?

Symptoms of herpes eye disease can include:

• Eye redness

• Eye pain

• Tearing

• Sensitivity to light

• Headache

• Feeling like there is something in your eye

• Rash with blisters on the eyelids

• Painful sore on eyelid or eye

• Blurred vision

• Vision loss

Repeated flare-ups of herpes eye disease can scar your cornea. This scarring may be long-lasting (permanent). This can lead to loss of eyesight and even blindness.

What can trigger a herpes eye disease flare-up?

You may have only a single flare-up of the virus. But the virus may become active and cause symptoms again. This is common. Certain things can trigger a flare-up, such as:

• Illness

• Stress

• Sunlight

• Eye injury

• Menstruation

• Steroid medicines

How is herpes eye disease diagnosed?

Your eye care provider will ask about your health history and give you an eye exam. They may look into your eye with a slit lamp microscope. This device magnifies the surface and inside of your eye. Your eye care provider may also put a dye into your eye. This dye lets them look at your cornea. In rare cases, a tiny bit of your eye tissue may be sent to a lab. This test checks for the virus.

How is herpes eye disease treated?

You and your eye care provider will decide on the best treatment for you. Treatment often includes medicine, such as eye drops or antiviral pills. In rare cases, surgery may be needed. Surgery may be done if scarring on the eye is causing vision problems.

Treatment can lower your risk for severe symptoms and flare-ups. But there is no cure for herpes eye disease.

Can you prevent a flare-up of herpes eye disease?

You may be able to prevent a flare-up of herpes eye disease with these steps:

• Don't touch your eyes or the area around your eyes unless you have washed your hands well. This is very important if you have a cold sore or herpes blister.

• Only use eye drops that your eye care provider has prescribed or advised you to use.