Corneal Edema & Dry Eye Syndrome

Corneal edema is swelling of the cornea of the eye that results in blurred vision and visual distortions. The causes of corneal edema include injury to the eye, past eye surgery and over-use of contact lenses, which can dry the eyes. Dry eye syndrome can cause similar visual problems as corneal edema, and mild cases are treated in similar ways.

Corneal Edema Symptoms

• Early symptoms of corneal edema include blurred vision that may be worse when you first wake up in the morning, along with visual distortions such as halos and rainbows around lights.

Corneal Edema Causes

• Surgical procedures such as cataract removal, damage to the cornea from an injury such as a blow to the head, over-use of contact lenses and a disorder of the eye called Fuchs' endothelial dystrophy can cause corneal edema.

Dry Eye Symptoms

• Symptoms of dry eyes include an inability to produce tears, itching, burning, redness, blurred vision and double vision.

Dry Eye Causes

• Dry eye syndrome can be caused by chronic allergies, smoking, over-use of contact lenses and reduced functioning of the tear gland due to age.

Eye Treatments

• Artificial tears can be used to treat mild cases of corneal edema and dry eye syndrome; moderate to severe cases may require surgical procedures such as the placement of tear duct plugs, corneal transplant or lens replacement.

Side Effects

• Artificial tears can further reduce the body's ability to produce natural tears; surgical procedure risks include vision loss, ulcers or infections of the eye.

Prevention/Solution

• Although there is no cure for corneal edema or dry eye syndrome, complications can be prevented though the regular use of lubricating eye drops and regular eye exams.