It typically develops between the ages of 12 and 25 years. Patients with mild to moderate keratoconus can often achieve excellent vision with rigid contact lenses. In patients with more severe keratoconus, where contact lenses are not working, a corneal transplant is often successful. Herpes simplex type 1, the kind that causes cornea problems, is the same type of herpes that causes cold sores in the mouth and on the lips. It is not the sexually transmitted type of herpes.
Some people get herpes in the eye, usually in the cornea.
It is treated with drops, ointment, pills or a combination of these medications. This therapy generally cures the infection, but it can recur. Recurrent infections may lead to mild to severe scarring and cause decreased vision. Inflammation of the cornea can also occur after a herpes infection which may need to treated carefully with steroid drops. Recurrent bouts of inflammation can lead to mild to severe corneal scarring.