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Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Signs and symptoms of keratitis include:

  • Eye redness
  • Eye pain
  • Excess tears or other discharge from your eye
  • Difficulty opening your eyelid because of pain or irritation
  • Blurred vision
  • Decreased vision
  • Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
  • A feeling that something is in your eye

When to see a doctor
If you notice any of the signs or symptoms of keratitis, make an appointment to see your doctor right away. Delays in diagnosis and treatment of keratitis can lead to serious complications, including blindness.

Causes Definition
References
  1. Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..X0001-X--TOP&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  2. What is bacterial keratitis? American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/bacterial-keratitis.cfm. Accessed Aug. 3, 2012.
  3. Yanoff M, ed., et al. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Edinburgh, U.K.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/212799885-2/0/1869/0.html. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  4. Contact lens-related infections. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/contact-lens-related-infections.cfm. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  5. Jacobs DS. Evaluation of the red eye. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  6. What is fungal keratitis? American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/fungal-keratitis.cfm. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  7. What is herpes keratitis? American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://www.geteyesmart.org/eyesmart/diseases/herpes-keratitis.cfm. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  8. Sugar A. Herpes simplex keratitis. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  9. Facts about the cornea and corneal disease. National Eye Institute. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/cornealdisease/. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  10. Nicoll D, et al. Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests. 5th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/pocketDiagnostic.aspx?type=5. Accessed Aug. 3, 2012.
  11. Free-living amebas. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/infectious_diseases/extraintestinal_protozoa/free-living_amebas.html?qt=free%20ameba&alt=sh. Accessed Aug. 3, 2012.
  12. Contact lens risks. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/HomeHealthandConsumer/ConsumerProducts/ContactLenses/ucm062589.htm. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  13. Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Online. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=9096708. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  14. Comprehensive eye and vision examination. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/eye-exams.xml. Accessed Aug. 3, 2012.
  15. Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 17, 2012.
DS01190 Sept. 20, 2012

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