Cornea

Cornea, External Disease & Anterior Segment Care in Prescott

The cornea is the clear, front surface of your eye and the first structure light passes through on its way to the retina. Since the cornea provides nearly two-thirds of the eye’s focusing power, even small changes can significantly impact your vision. At our Prescott and Chino Valley eye care clinics, we specialize in diagnosing and treating corneal conditions, offering both medical and surgical options to help restore and protect your vision.

Understanding the Cornea: A Clear Window to the World

The human cornea has five layers in order, listed outermost to innermost:

5 Layers of The Cornea

1. Corneal Epithelium – The cornea’s outermost region makes up approximately 10 percent of the tissue’s thickness.
2. Bowman’s Layer – This sturdy layer of collagen protein fibers is beneath the membrane of the epithelium. If this layer is damaged, it can form a scar during healing. If the scar is towards the middle of the eye, it often causes some vision loss.
3. Corneal Stroma –The stroma layer comprises 90 percent of the cornea’s tissue. The unique shape of this layer and the lack of blood vessels produce the cornea’s transparency.
4. Descemet’s Membrane – This layer is a thin piece of tissue. Its primary function is to protect against injuries and infection. The Descemet’s membrane consists of collagen fibers.
5. Corneal Endothelium – An extremely thin layer, this is the innermost layer of the cornea. These cells are necessary to maintain corneal transparency.

If any injury breaks through to a deeper layer of the cornea, the healing process takes longer and may result in the following symptoms: blurred vision, pain, redness, sensitivity to light and tearing. More serious injuries will produce corneal scarring, which can cause distorted vision or even dramatically impaired vision.

Common Corneal Conditions We Treat in Prescott

Dry Eye Syndrome

Many Prescott-area residents experience dry eye, often caused by the region’s dry climate. Symptoms may include:

• Grittiness or burning

• Blurred vision

• Redness

• Light sensitivity

Treatment depends on the cause and severity of your dry eye and may include prescription drops, in-office procedures, or advanced therapies.

Learn More about Dry Eye

Corneal Infections & Inflammation

Inflammation or infection of the cornea or conjunctiva (the transparent membrane covering the eye) can cause:

• Redness and pain

• Blurred or reduced vision

• Light sensitivity
  Infections may be viral, bacterial, fungal, or protozoan and require urgent care to avoid vision loss. Risk factors include contact lens wear and eye trauma. Prompt treatment can prevent permanent scarring.

Fuchs’ Dystrophy

Fuchs’ dystrophy is a genetic, progressive disease that damages the inner layer of the cornea (endothelium), leading to:

• Blurred vision, especially in the morning

• Halos or glare

• Corneal swelling
  Early treatment may include saline eye drops. In advanced stages, endothelial keratoplasty (partial corneal transplant) can restore vision with faster recovery and better outcomes than full transplants.

Keratoconus

Keratoconus is a common corneal condition in which the cornea begins to thin. As it thins, it loses strength, and the cornea starts to bulge. The cornea changes shape, and vision is affected. Initially, the vision can be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. As the disease progresses, vision loss occurs, and corrective lenses may no longer be effective.  It is recommended that patients with progressive keratoconus undergo early corneal crosslinking to prevent disease progression and permanent vision loss.  This treatment is performed in the office and is the only FDA-approved treatment to halt the progression of keratoconus.  Patients with severe, untreated Keratoconus may need to undergo a full-thickness corneal transplant to restore good vision.

Learn More about Keratoconus

Corneal Transplants

For patients with severe corneal disease or endothelial damage, we offer advanced corneal transplant procedures in Prescott, including:

• DMEK (Descemet’s Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty)

• DSAEK (Descemet’s Stripping Automated Endothelial Keratoplasty)

These procedures involve transplanting only the affected corneal layers, resulting in:

• Faster recovery

• Improved vision

• Lower rejection risk compared to full-thickness transplants.

Learn More about Corneal Transplants

Your Prescott Cornea Care Experts

If symptoms of corneal diseases are making you uncomfortable and interfering with your daily life, give us a call or schedule online. Our doctors have the expertise and tools to give you the relief you need.