The cornea is a portion of your eye. It's susceptible to a variety of conditions ranging from dry eye to dystrophies. These issues may cause pain and discomfort as well as interfere with your ability to see clearly. At Slingsby & Huot Eye Associates, serving Rapid City, SD and the surrounding region, we offer solutions to correct these problems.

About the Cornea

Your cornea is the transparent layer forming the front of the eye. This part of your eye has five different layers, each serving a unique purpose. The cornea consists of cells, proteins, and fluids that keep your eyes free of germs and debris. Not only does it protect your lens and iris, but it also has an impact on your vision. It's responsible for between 65 to 70 percent of the focusing power your eye has. It doesn't have any blood vessels, so it relies on tears and the aqueous humor to provide it with nourishment.

Possible Problems With Your Cornea

Usually, a minor injury or scratch to your cornea will heal on its own. However, deeper injuries may cause you to have scarring. You might notice a haze on your cornea. An injury may also cause pain, headaches, nausea, fatigue, sensitivity to light, reduced vision, blurry vision, redness, or inflammation.

Dry Eye

If you have dry eye, you may notice your eyes are red and inflamed. In addition, you may notice you have a burning or stinging pain. Some people experience issues with their vision. Dry eye stems from either your eyes not producing enough tears or making poor quality tears.

Corneal Dystrophies

Additionally, Our Team treats corneal dystrophies including keratoconus, Fuchs' dystrophy, and lattice dystrophy. Corneal dystrophy occurs when one or more areas of your cornea have a reduction in clarity. It happens because of buildup clouding the cornea. Usually, it's inherited and progresses gradually.

One example is keratoconus. It causes your cornea to thin, and as it does, it causes double vision, blurred vision, nearsightedness, light sensitivity, and astigmatism. It causes the cells in the endothelium of your cornea to deteriorate.

The endothelial cells in your cornea have fluid, but in someone with Fuchs', the cells die and fluid builds up. You may experience swelling, glare, distorted vision, difficulty seeing at night, and blurred vision as a result.

Lattice dystrophy causes deposits in the stroma of your cornea that look like lattice. The deposits are comprised of amyloid, which is an abnormal protein fiber. Over time, these deposits cause vision impairment. It may alter the curvature of the cornea and cause pain.