The sclera is the white, hard part of the eyeball. The sclera formed from connective tissue functions to maintain the shape of the eyeball and protect important parts in the eye, such as the retina and the lens of the eye.
The sclera is covered by the conjunctiva, which is a clear mucous membrane that functions to lubricate the eyes.
Sklera consists of:
- Episklera, which is a loose connective tissue that is located just below the conjunctiva.
- Sklera, the white part of the eye.
- Lamina fusca, which consists of elastic fibers and is in the inner layers of the eyeball.
In addition to giving shape and maintaining the structure of the eyeball, the sclera also has other functions, namely to protect the inside of the eye from injury and exposure to foreign objects. The eye sclera is also the place where the eye muscles attach, thus allowing the eyeball to move.
Disorders that often occur in the sclera
If not taken care of their health, sclera can experience various disorders that interfere with eye function. The following are some diseases that often occur in sclera:
1. Scleritis
Scleritis is a disease in which the eye sclera is inflamed. This inflammation can occur on the front or back of the eyeball.
The exact cause of this condition is still unknown, but scleritis is often associated with autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. In some cases, inflammation of the sclera may also be caused by infection and abnormalities in the connective tissue.
Scleritis can cause several symptoms, such as severe pain in the eyes, red eyes, watery eyes, blurred vision, and easy glare or sensitivity to light.
2. Episcleritis
Episcleritis is inflammation that occurs in the tissue covering the sclera of the eye. Just like scleritis, the cause of episcleritis is also not known with certainty.
However, episcleritis tends to be more often experienced by people suffering from inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis, lupus, or Crohn's disease.
This inflammation causes the eyes to appear red, irritated, and dry. The eyes can also feel uncomfortable and sore, but not as severe as scleritis. Patients with this sclera disorder also generally do not feel vision problems.
3. Pinguecula & pterygium
Pinguecula is the growth of yellow or reddish lumps or membranes in the clear layer along the eyelid and partially covering the sclera. If it has widened to cover the pupils of the eye, this condition is called pterygium.
This sclera disease is common in people whose eyes are often exposed to sunlight, dust, wind, or experience dry eyes, on a prolonged basis. Although rarely cause dangerous complications, if not treated immediately, this condition can cover the pupils of the eye and interfere with vision.
Symptoms of pinguecula and pterygium include a burning sensation in the eye area, sandy eyes or foreign body entry, itching, and redness. Even so, some people with this scleral disorder don't feel any symptoms.
4. Subconjunctival bleeding
When the eyes become inflamed, the blood vessels in the conjunctival area become larger and clearly visible. These blood vessels tend to be brittle and break easily. If the blood vessels in the conjunctiva rupture, this condition is called subconjunctival bleeding. Sclera who experience this condition will look reddish.
Subconjunctival bleeding can occur spontaneously without apparent cause. However, there are some things that can increase the risk of subconjunctival bleeding, such as eye injuries, frequent sneezing and coughing, straining too much, vomiting, high blood pressure, frequent eye rubbing, or irritation from contact lens wear.
5. Sclera injury
Eye sclera can be injured or damaged due to impact or entry of foreign objects into the eye. Some foreign objects that often cause injury to the sclera of the eye are dust, sand, glass or wood chips, makeup, or chemical splashes.
When injured by sclera, the eyes can feel sore, painful, itchy, reddish, runny, so it's hard to see clearly. Therefore, sclera injuries that cause severe complaints need to be treated immediately by an eye doctor.
6. Change the color of the sclera
Healthy and normal sclera is white. But in some conditions, the sclera can change color. An example is the sclera which becomes yellowish due to increased bilirubin. This condition often occurs in people who have liver disease.
Apart from yellowing, the sclera can also turn bluish or look like there are black dots. This condition is caused by a genetic disorder called ocular melanocytosis.
Bluish eye sclera can also be caused by osteogenesis imperfecta, a rare disease that causes bones to become brittle.
Generally this eye color change will not cause other complaints. However, if brownish or black spots appear accompanied by visual disturbances, eye pain, or changes in eye shape, this condition is likely caused by dangerous melanoma eye cancer.
How to Maintain Healthy Eye Sclera
To avoid various disorders of the eye sclera, here are some tips for maintaining healthy eye sclera:
- Consumption of good nutritious foods to maintain eye health, namely vegetables, fruits, and foods containing omega-3s, such as fish and eggs.
- Use sunglasses when you move in the hot sun.
- Routinely use eye protection when doing work or activities that make a lot of eyes exposed to heat, dust, and wind.
- Don't stare too long at the gadget and computer screens. If it is too long, the eyes can experience fatigue and become dry.
- Stop smoking, because smoking can increase the risk of cataracts, optic nerve damage, and blindness. Cigarette smoke can also cause eye irritation.
- Routinely check eye health to doctor, at least every two years.
Well, now you already know what sclera is and how to treat it, right? If you experience symptoms that indicate sclera disorders, do not hesitate to do an examination with an eye doctor to get the right treatment.
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