The shingles virus, or herpes zoster, is the same virus that causes chickenpox--HV3. The virus that attacks the skin and the nerves can spread from the eye to the face, leading to complications. Shingles can occur at any age and in people with healthy immune systems. Symptoms of shingles include rash, painful blisters, itching, skin redness and pain that persists after visible symptoms are gone. Prompt treatment of ocular herpes, or eye shingles, can prevent complications.
Corneal Ulcer
The cornea of the eye is important for clear vision. The cornea is the outermost clear, curved layer of the eye. The spread of shingles from a rash on the face to the eye can produce a corneal ulcer that leads to scarring and permanent visual distortion. Symptoms of corneal ulcer include blurred vision, redness, pain, watering of the eye, pain and sensitivity to light.
Blindness
Blindness can occur from shingles in the eye, making prompt treatment a priority for suspected infection. Ocular herpes has occurred in approximately 400,000 Americans, and there are 50,000 new or recurrent cases annually, according to the National Eye Institute. Herpes can remain dormant and recur from fever, eye trauma, stress and following exposure to sunlight. Blindness from herpes or shingles is possible if the virus penetrates deep into the eye. Ocular herpes is the leading cause of corneal blindness in the United States, according to background information from the Herpetic Eye Disease Study (HEDS) 1 conducted by the National Institutes of Health.
Stromal Keratitis
Stromal keratitis develops when the shingles virus invades the inner layer of the eye called the stroma. Results of the study, "A novel role for phagocytosis-like uptake in herpes simplex virus entry", published in the Sept. 25 issue of the "Journal of Cell Biology" revealed how the herpes virus evades the immune system in the same way as bacteria. Keratitis is a complication of the shingles virus that becomes more difficult to treat. When the herpes virus enters the inner layer of the eye, the cornea can perforate.
Blepharitis
Herpes zoster ophthalmicus, another name for shingles of the eye, causes inflammation of the eyelid known a blepharitis. The eyelid becomes swollen and inflamed causing the lid to droop. Blepharitis from shingles in the eye is painful. Herpes lesions on the eyelids are initially present and then heal. Blepharitis from ocular herpes can lead to a secondary bacterial infection from Staphylococcus aureus that normally lives on the skin.
