Cloudy Cornea: The cornea appears to be a transparent film which covers the anterior portion of the eyes, specifically the iris. Its main function is o transmit and help focus the amount of light which enters the eye. However, there are certain instances in which the cornea would lose its transparent appearance. This is termed as cloudy cornea. This condition is also otherwise known as corneal opacification or corneal edema.

There are also numerous conditions that can be associated with a cloudy cornea. You are likely to suffer from a cloudy cornea when you sustain chemical burns on the cornea and also when there is trauma to the eyes. Other diseases like herpetic keratoconjunctivitis, Sjogren’s disease and onchocerciasis also lead to corneal clouding. Poor nutrition and falling short of vitamin A would also result to the same condition. However, this condition can also be inherited.

You would usually experience some disturbances in your vision, specifically a hazy vision. When you begin to experience this, do not be reluctant to consult a specialist for your condition to be properly evaluated. An ophthalmoscopy may be performed to assess your cornea. An ultrasound of the eyes may also be done to determine the thickness of the cornea. The patient may also be subjected to a standard eye exam to evaluate his or her vision. The treatment for cloudy cornea would depend on its underlying cause. When this is specifically caused by infections, antibiotics are usually given. Other modes of treatment include decreasing the amount of pressure in the cornea, hypertonic solutions, bandage contact lenses and many others. However, when the cloudiness does not resolve with all of these, a corneal transplant may be last resorted to.