The accompanying symptoms
The inflammation can cause various symptoms. Usually the inflammation of the leather skin occurs on one side only. The symptoms are quite acute – no accident or injury has occurred before.
The affected eye can be painful, especially eye movements can be unpleasant. In addition, the eye reddens because the blood vessels are filled with blood and become more prominent. In addition to the redness, the eye can also water and be sensitive to light.
Scleritis, a deep-seated inflammation of the sclera, leads to reduced visual acuity. Affected patients only see blurredly in the affected eye. In the case of episcleritis (superficial inflammation of the sclera), vision is not reduced. In addition, scleritis can lead to a bluish discoloration and thinning of the sclera (dermis). This can lead to a tearing of the sclera, i.e. a perforation, and must be treated surgically.
The diagnosis
The diagnosis is made on the basis of the patient’s medical history, the symptoms present and an ophthalmological examination. The ophthalmologist examines the affected eye with a slit lamp and then largely rules out other diagnoses. In order to identify the cause, a blood count and an immunoserology should also be made. Thereby systemic diseases can be detected. In addition, an infection serology should also be performed – this allows bacteria or viruses to be identified.
Is leather dermatitis contagious?
In most cases, leather dermatitis is not infectious, as bacteria and viruses are rare triggers of this disease. Often the leather dermatitis is caused by systemic diseases such as lupus erythematosus. In these cases the inflammation is not contagious. If, however, bacteria or viruses are the cause of the disease, it is important to find out which strain of bacteria or type of virus is involved, since they are infectious in different ways. By the infection serology, your doctor should be able to judge this and inform you accordingly.
The treatment
The treatment of episcleritis is usually done with eye drops. They contain anti-inflammatory substances and additionally reduce the pain.In some cases episcleritis heals without treatment. The treatment of scleritis may differ depending on the underlying disease.
Here, too, it is important to reduce the inflammation. For this purpose, anti-inflammatory drugs such as cortisone can be administered. The cortisone can be given in the form of eye drops but also in the form of tablets.
Non-steroidal painkillers (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or ASS can be taken to relieve the pain. NSAIDs have an anti-inflammatory effect in addition to their analgesic effect. Immunosuppressive drugs are used for systemic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
They act on the immune cells and reduce the effect. In this way, fewer of the body’s own cells are damaged and the inflammatory reaction is also reduced. Known drugs in this class are methotrexate, azathioprine and cyclosporine A.
If the sclera is damaged by the inflammation to such an extent that a tear is imminent, the eye must be treated surgically. This is rarely the case, however. Homeopathy as the sole therapy is not recommended, especially not for scleritis.
However, a supportive therapy with homeopathic drugs can be quite useful. Homeopathic remedies that are suitable for treatment are the active ingredients Terebinthia oleum, Thuja occidentalis and Cinnabens. In case of scleritis, which is accompanied by bluish discoloration and dilution of the sclera, the remedy Mercurius solubilis can be used.
