Fuch's

Eight years ago my toddler accidentally scratched my cornea with his fingernail.   Following this I suffered recurrent corneal erosions for months.  Finally an opthalmologist performed a procedure to aid in the healing of the abrasion.  He "roughened" up the cornea by pricking it with a needle.   That did the trick.   Last year during my yearly eye exam with a different physician I was told that I had a genetic condition called Fuch's Dystrophy.   I did not have any more problems with my eyes until about a month ago when I started having issues upon awakening in the morning.   My right eye felt kind of dry and gritty and like my eyelid was sticking when I would try to open my eye.   Felt similar to the corneal erosions from years ago but not nearly as painful.   I was telling the ophthalmologist about this last week and he said it was the Fuch's.  He said my right eye, the one I am having issues with, had guttata of 1+.   After I left there I began to wonder if I really even have Fuch's.   Could my old corneal injury be confused with Fuch's?  Is Fuch's always genetic or can it be caused by injury?  I find it too much of a coincidence that I am only having problems with the one eye.

[Ray T Oyakawa, MD]

Please get a second opinion from a corneal specialist.

Dr. O.