15 Common Triggers of Keratitis

If one or both of your eyes are red and irritated, painful, sensitive to light, weeping and inflamed, and if your vision is skewed, you may have keratitis. A common condition, keratitis is an inflammation of the cornea, the clear exterior layer of the eyeball. The cornea covers the pupil and iris and protects, and it also plays an important role insight, as it helps your eyes focus so that they can see clearly. 

Like all other parts of the eye, the cornea can become damaged; in fact, it’s more prone to damage than other parts because it’s the outermost portion of the eye, and as such, it’s exposed to more elements that can damage it. There are two main types of keratitis: noninfectious and infections, and there are several factors that can cause both. Below, we’ll take a look at eight of the most common triggers of keratitis. 

1. Injuries.

One of the most common causes of noninfectious keratitis is an injury to the eye. There is a myriad of ways that the eye can become injured; while playing sports, for example, you may take an elbow to the eye or a ball may graze it, or while riding a bike, you may accidentally ride past a tree branch, which could scrape the eye.

These types of scenarios can scratch the cornea, and a scratch – even if it’s minor – can lead to swelling and inflammation, or noninfectious keratitis. If you have recently sustained an injury to your eye and you are experiencing pain, swelling, redness, blurred vision, and if your eye is teary or sensitive to light, you may be suffering from keratitis. Schedule an appointment with your doctor, as the condition needs to be treated, otherwise, it can progress and cause a number of potentially severe complications.