Conditions
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After being affected by AIDS, the following conditions may happen:
- Cotton Wool Sports: The most common eye problem
from AIDS doesn't threaten vision. Your eye has an inner layer called the
retina, which sends images to the brain and helps us see.
AIDS can cause tiny amounts of bleeding and white spots in the retina. These white spots are
called "cotton wool spots" because of the way they look.
- CMV Retinitis: CMV, cytomegalovirus (CMV), causes a serious eye infection of the
retina. About 20-30% of people with AIDS have
CMV but the most infectious case happens when the number of T-cells get dangerously low,
usually under 40. CMV can harm your vision permanently. Call an ophthalmologist right
away if you see: floating spots or "Spiderwebs", flashing lights, blind spots and/or
blurred vision.
- Red Eye: People with AIDS sometimes have red eye infections that may last for
a long time. A disease called shingles can occur more commonly in people with HIV.
- Detached Retina Sometimes CMV causes the retina to separate from the back of
the eye. A detached retina can cause a serious vision loss. The only way to attach
it again is to have an eye operation.
- Kaposi's Sarcoma: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a kind of tumor that looks like
purple-red spots. In the eyes, it can look like a bump on the eyelid or a spot on
the white part of the eye. KS can look frightening, but it grows slowly and does
not harm the eye.
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| Treatments For AIDS Eye Problem
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There are two drugs to fight CMV infections: Ganciclovir¨ (DHPG) and Foscarnet¨.
These drugs don't kill CMV but slow it down. You must go to your ophthalmologist
for regular eye exams in case CMV flares up.
The earlier your ophthalmologist finds CMV, the better the odds your vision can be
helped. If only one eye is infected, you can protect the other eye by taking anti-CMV
medicines. Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) can be treated with radiation, laser surgery,
freezing or surgery.
There are other eye AIDS related infections. The symptoms are the same as CMV:
floaters, flashes or blind spots. But each disease has its own treatment and only
your ophthalmologist can tell which you need. When people are very sick with AIDS,
the brain can also become affected. As a result a person's vision can be blurry or
double. Treatment can sometimes help.
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| Exams
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It's very important to know if you are HIV+ at an early
stage. If you get treatment before you are sick, you can stay well longer.
If your T-cell count falls under 250, it is more likely that you will get a
serious eye infection. If your T-cell count drops or if your vision changes,
you need to call your ophthalmologist. Regular eye exams by an ophthalmologist
may help to discover CMV early, before you lose much vision. |
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