What are the symptoms and signs of active infection?
Most episodes of active infection are due to a re-activation of the virus at some point after (often years after) a primary infection. Symptoms include: • Redness of the eye – mainly around the cornea. • Ache or pain in the eye. • Photophobia (discomfort when opening the eyes in bright light). • Watering of the eye. • Blurring of vision. A doctor will usually examine the eye with a magnifier. They may also put some stain on the front of the eye to show up any irregular areas on the cornea. With a herpes simplex infection they will often see a small ulcer (erosion) on the cornea. (The typical ulcer which develops is called a ‘dendritic’ ulcer. Dendritic means ‘many fingered’. The ulcer is not round with a smooth edge but like a tree with many finger-like branches.) If your doctor suspects a herpes eye infection you will be referred urgently to an eye specialist. A specialist will do a detailed magnified examination of the eye. This is to confirm the diagnosis and to determine if the inf
