Hello doctor, I am pretty sure I have a corneal ulcer. I have had them in the past although. It has been a little over 10 years since my last, I know the pain associated with getting one and I do have a history. However, I had never actually seen exactly what it looked like as my eye would be too red. This time though, I see an off white dot on my cornea near the iris. I am a contact lens wearer and I know not to sleep with my contacts. I have been slacking some lately. It feels like something is in my eye and sticking a thin needle down through it. The pain goes through the whole eyeball. It feels like deep in my brain. It hurts like hell and I could not sleep. The moment I was finally able to relax my eye from fluttering, a painful vibration would erupt through my eye. I am also extremely sensitive to light. I know I need a topical antibiotic to put in my eye and no contact use. Can it go away on its own without having to see a doctor and get the solution? Or can I just get an RX without having to do all of that? It is not super easy right now to do. I also do not have any of my medical files on this as it has been over 10 years and I am currently in the middle of a moving transition and cannot locate them easily.
Hello. From what you have mentioned, you seem to be having contact lens induced keratitis (corneal ulcer) or marginal keratitis. A corneal ulcer develops when there is a break in the corneal epithelium. Normally, tears play a major role in maintaining the integrity of the corneal epithelium. However, there are several risk factors associated with corneal ulcer formation among contact lens users like overnight wear, duration of wear, lens hygiene practice, dry eye, and smoking. Marginal keratitis is known to occur as a reaction to staphylococcus toxins, or coexist with blepharitis or rosacea. If so, please revert back to me. The symptoms mentioned by you point towards corneal ulcer. However, the diagnosis is made by a slit lamp examination, which is done by an ophthalmologist. Hence, an eye examination by an ophthalmologist is necessary for the diagnosis and treatment. Also, corneal scraping maybe done to detect the infective organism. The most common being pseudomonas, followed by acanthamoeba. Delay in diagnosis and treatment can lead to further complications. So please see an ophthalmologist at the earliest.  Further, you must stop using the contact lens (the one you have been using). You must take the contact lens along with the lens solution when you visit the ophthalmologist, as they will need microbiological testing as well. Conditions leading to extreme dryness of eyes like environmental dust and smoke have to be avoided. You can also use dark tinted goggles as you have intolerance to light. And please visit the ophthalmologist at the earliest. After the diagnosis is made, you will be started off with fortified antibiotic eyedrops and cycloplegics along with lubricant eye drops. For more information consult an eye care ophthalmologist online -->