eye disorders
Herpes Simplex Keratitis
Treatment of Herpes Simplex Keratitis
Antiviral eye drops Antiviral drugs taken by mouth or vein Corticosteroid eye drops and drops that dilate the pupil Sometimes removal of infected and damaged eye cells Treatment of herpes simplex keratitis should be started as soon as possible. The doctor may prescribe an antiviral drug, such astrifluridineeye drop organciclovireye gel. Acyclovir, another antiviral drug, can be taken by mouth or by vein (intravenously). The antiviral drugvalacyclovircan also be taken by mouth. Sometimes,acyclovirorvalacycloviris prescribed to prevent frequent occurrences (called suppressive therapy) as well as in people whose episodes have been severe enough to threaten their vision. Deep infections that cause a lot of inflammation may require use of corticosteroid drops. Drops that dilate the pupil, such ascyclopentolate,atropineorscopolamine, can help relieve symptoms. Occasionally, to help speed healing, an ophthalmologist (a medical doctor who specializes in the evaluation and treatment—surgical and nonsurgical—of eye disorders) gently swabs the cornea with a soft cotton-tipped applicator to remove infected and damaged cells. 