What Is a Numb Eye in Eye Care?

How Do Trigeminal Nerve Injuries Lead to a Numb Ocular Surface?

The sensation of the eye is controlled by the ophthalmic division of the trigeminal nerve. If this nerve is damaged by a tumor, a stroke, or a viral infection like Shingles, the signal from the eye to the brain is cut off. Without this signal, the eye stops producing enough tears and the surface cells stop regenerating. This leads to a breakdown of the corneal tissue where a hole can form in the eye simply because the eye forgot how to heal itself.

What are the Primary Success Data Trends for Nerve Restoration?

Clinical data shows that a numb eye has a 50 percent higher risk of corneal perforation than a healthy eye. Until recently, there was no way to fix the numbness. However, a breakthrough procedure called Corneal Neurotization has changed the data. Surgeons take a healthy nerve from the leg or the scalp and re-wire it to the numb eye. Statistics show that over 80 percent of patients who undergo this nerve transplant regain significant ocular sensation within six months, allowing their eye to finally heal its own ulcers.

Why Is Herpes Simplex the Leading Cause of Chronic Numbness?

The virus that causes cold sores can live in the eye's nerves for decades. Every time the virus flares up, it eats away a little more of the sensory nerve fibers. After several recurrences, the eye can become partially or totally numb. Data suggests that nearly 15 percent of patients with herpetic keratitis develop permanent corneal numbness. Clinicians use a cotton-wisp test to check for this; if the doctor touches your eye with cotton and you do not blink, you have a numb eye that requires life-long protective management.

What are the Mandatory Safety Rules for Patients with a Numb Eye?

Because the warning system is broken, the patient must become their own monitor. Patients with a numb eye are instructed to look in the mirror 3 times a day to check for redness as redness is their only sign of an injury. They are also advised to wear wrap-around goggles outdoors to prevent dust from entering the eye and to use preservative-free tears every hour. Data indicates that patients who follow a strict visual check routine have a 70 percent lower rate of emergency hospitalizations for corneal ulcers.

How Do Clinicians Use Amniotic Membrane Grafts to Heal Numb Corneas?

When a numb eye develops an ulcer that will not heal, clinicians often apply a graft made of human amniotic membrane. This tissue contains natural growth factors and anti-inflammatory proteins that jump-start the healing process in a cornea that lacks nerve signals. The graft is held in place with a specialized contact lens for several days. Data suggests that amniotic grafts have an 85 percent success rate in closing neurotrophic ulcers, preventing the need for more invasive surgery and saving the eye from permanent scarring.