Jealous to the point of "red eyes"? It's not a heart disease but an eye disease!

In daily life, some people are jealous to the point of being "envious".

Here, "jealousy" refers to the fact that someone else has something and he wants it but doesn't have it, so he feels both longing and uncomfortable, and hates the other person at the same time.

But be careful, other people’s jealousy is a mental illness, but your jealousy is a real eye disease!

There are many types of red eyes. Can you tell the difference between them?

The difference between keratitis and conjunctivitis is the location of the disease

Keratitis refers to an inflammatory reaction that occurs in the cornea. The cornea is located on the surface of what we commonly call the "black eyeball". It is a transparent, avascular tissue that allows light to enter the eye and allows us to see things.

Conjunctivitis occurs in the conjunctiva, which is the translucent mucous tissue that covers the inner surface of the upper and lower eyelids and the "white of the eye" and is rich in blood vessels.

Different causes of disease

The main causes of keratitis are trauma and infection. Normal, intact corneal epithelial cells are the best barrier against foreign invasion.

Conjunctivitis is divided into two categories: infectious conjunctivitis and non-infectious conjunctivitis, and the causes of the two are different.

Infection by pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses is the main cause of infectious conjunctivitis.

Non-infectious conjunctivitis is caused by many external factors, such as various chemicals, direct sunlight, and allergic inflammation caused by local allergic reactions. A small number of newborns are infected by the mother's birth canal, which is a serious problem that must be treated immediately, otherwise it will cause blindness.

Symptoms vary

The symptoms of keratitis and conjunctivitis have some similarities, both of which manifest as eye discomfort, tearing, increased ocular secretions and congestion, but there are still many differences in the specific circumstances and they can be distinguished.

Keratitis often causes eye pain, which worsens when blinking. The pain can last until the inflammation subsides and may be accompanied by photophobia. Keratitis congestion is generally dark red, radiating from the cornea and gradually lessening toward the periphery.

Conjunctivitis often presents with symptoms such as foreign body sensation, burning sensation, increased secretions, photophobia, etc., and often does not cause eye pain. When the lesion involves the cornea, eye pain, tearing, and varying degrees of vision loss may occur. Conjunctivitis is bright red and is more obvious closer to the fornix (where the conjunctiva on the inner surface of the eyelid and the conjunctiva on the surface of the "white of the eye" connect).

Impact Difference

Keratitis: When the cornea undergoes an inflammatory reaction, its transparency is often affected due to edema, turbid infiltration foci, etc., which manifests as varying degrees of vision loss. Especially when the lesions occur in the pupil area in the center of the cornea, the vision loss is more obvious.

Keratitis is often a serious disease with a long course and slow recovery. If it is not treated promptly and effectively, corneal ulcers and perforations may occur, and even intraocular infection may occur. It is a serious blinding disease that may eventually require a corneal transplant, and those with poorly controlled intraocular infection may even need to have their eyeballs removed. Even after medication is used to control the disease, scarring turbidity may remain on the corneal surface.

Conjunctivitis: Simple conjunctivitis will not affect vision. However, chronic conjunctivitis is more difficult to treat. It is generally not self-limiting. Patients experience itching, foreign body sensation, eye fatigue, mild congestion and a small amount of secretions. If the inflammation persists for a long time, conjunctival hypertrophy will occur.

Infectious keratitis is a type of infectious disease and is generally not contagious.

There are many types of conjunctivitis , among which conjunctivitis caused by bacteria or viruses is contagious, usually transmitted through direct contact.

Director Yang Wanju of the Department of Ocular Surface and Corneal Diseases at Wuhan University Aier Eye Hospital reminds that although conjunctivitis is relatively mild, because it is adjacent to the cornea, its inflammatory reaction may spread to the surrounding area and cause keratitis. When the eyes are uncomfortable, you should go to the hospital for a detailed specialist examination as soon as possible to make a clear diagnosis, and avoid abusing eye drops.