Endophthalmitis in the eye is a severe infection within the eye's inner tissues that is often caused by bacteria or fungi and can potentially lead to blindness and is a medical emergency.
Symptoms of endophthalmitis in the eye are intense eye pain, redness, blurred vision, and even light sensitivity.
Endophthalmitis can result from external sources such as from eye injuries, eye surgery or from infections within your body.
Prompt treatment for Endophthalmitis is required to prevent permanent loss of vision.
Symptoms of severe eye infections are severe pain, redness, swelling, vision loss in some cases, fever and discharge of pus or mucus from the eye.
You should see a doctor for an eye infection if the eye infection lasts longer than 1 week to 2 weeks or gets worse or at home treatments have not worked or if you have any signs of a serious eye infection which include swelling around your eyes, thick, colored discharge from the eyes, intense sensitivity to light, blurry vision, severe pain, sudden vision changes or even sudden vision loss.
An eye infection can in rare cases lead to the brain and spread to the brain, which is called an intracranial complication.
As long as the eye infection stays confined to your cornea, it can't spread to the brain, but if the eye infection is not confined to the cornea it can spread to the brain by traveling through the nerves or blood vessels which connect your eye to your brain.
An abscess which is a collection of pus can also form in your eye or the surrounding tissues and then spread to the brain and the eye infection can also cause inflammation of your membranes that cover your brain and spinal cord.
Severe eye infections like endophthalmitis or orbital cellulitis are more likely to cause the eye infection to spread to the brain or even lead to sepsis.
If you don't treat an eye infection the eye infection can sometimes get worse and can result in severe complications that can include corneal damage, permanent vision loss and total blindness.
Some eye infections like Keratitis, "corneal inflammation", can also cause corneal ulcers and scarring.
And in severe cases, the eye infection that is left untreated can spread and cause blood clots or sepsis which are life threatening conditions.
It's important that you see an eye doctor, especially for serious eye infections and if you can't get to an eye doctor and the eye infection is serious can go to the ER as a last resort as the ER can help with some eye infections.
Many eye infections go away with home treatment, if they are the severe cases of eye infections although some can be more serious and need medical treatment.
An eye infection that lasts for longer than 1 week to 2 weeks is too long for an eye infection and could also indicate that eye infection is more serious and should be looked at by an eye doctor.
If the eye infection does not go away within 1 to 2 weeks or if the symptoms get worse instead of getting better or you notice any severe symptoms like increased light sensitivity, blurry vision, significant pain or have a fever or any other signs of serious eye infection you should see an eye doctor as soon as possible or even go to the ER if you have too.
To tell if an eye infection is serious, look for signs of a serious eye infection which include swelling around your eyes, thick, colored discharge from the eyes, intense sensitivity to light, blurry vision, severe pain, sudden vision changes or even sudden vision loss.
If you notice signs of a serious eye infection you should contact an eye doctor right away and seek medical attention, as some eye infection conditions like endophthalmitis or keratitis can result in permanent loss of vision, without prompt medical treatment.
If you have any serious eye infections or eye infections in general you should stop wearing contact lenses if you wear contact lenses and see a doctor, especially if the symptoms don't improve within 12 to 24 hours even for less severe eye infections.
Red eyes or even itching and irritation can also be signs of an eye infection which could also be serious.
To recover fast from an eye infection, you should see an eye doctor who can prescribe antibiotic eye drops.
Also at home you can recover fast by avoiding touching your eyes, if you wear contacts, keep the contacts out of your eyes and take over the counter pain relievers and apply some warm compresses and get plenty of rest.
Using lubricating eye drops and using damp, warm or cool compresses can help your eyes feel better and help you recover from an eye infection.
Some eye infections can be treated at home and other eye infections which are more serious need an eye doctor treat.
To get rid of an eye infection naturally you can apply some honey to your eyelids, but just be sure not to get the honey in the eye.
Honey has antibacterial properties and can sometimes get rid of the bacteria that is causing the infection, although it may not work for all types of eye infections.
You can also use a saline solution to get rid of an eye infection naturally.
Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water.
Then use a clean cotton ball or an eye dropper to gently apply the saline solution to the eye, which helps to flush out irritants and bacterial.
You can also mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in 1 cup of water and then use a cotton ball to gently wipe the eye with the apple cider vinegar solution.
Apple cider vinegar has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties which can help treat the eye infection.
You can also steep some guava leaves in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes and let the tea cool down and apply it to the eyes with a cotton ball or compress.
The Guava leaves have anti-inflammatory properties and antibacterial properties which can also help get rid of eye infections.
To treat an eye infection without going to the doctor you can buy and apply some over the counter antibiotic eye drops or eye creams to your eye and also apply warm compresses or cool compresses to the eye lids several times a day.
Also cleaning your eyelids with a clean rag and antibacterial soap, gently without getting soap in your eye can also help.
Although in more severe cases or if the eye infection doesn't go away or gets worse you will need to see an eye doctor in most cases to get rid of the eye infection as some eye infections may need prescription antibiotics to treat.