Question

Explain the eye infection trachoma with symptoms and causes.

Answer 1

Hint: Trachoma is an eye illness caused by a bacterial infection. Chlamydia trachomatis is the bacteria that causes it. Trachoma is contagious and spreads by contact with infected people's eyes, eyelids, nose, and throat secretions. Handling infected goods, such as handkerchiefs, can also spread the disease.

Complete answer:
Trachoma can cause mild itching and discomfort of the eyes and eyelids initially. Swollen eyelids and pus oozing from the eyes are common symptoms. Trachoma can cause blindness if left untreated.
Trachoma is the most common preventable cause of blindness in the world. The majority of trachoma incidences occur in impoverished parts of Africa, where 85 percent of people with active trachoma live. In locations where trachoma is common, infection rates among children under the age of five can reach 60% or higher. Trachoma problems can be avoided with early treatment.
Signs and symptoms of trachoma usually affect both eyes and may include:
1. Mild itching and irritation of the eyes and eyelids.
2. Eye discharge containing mucus or pus.
3. Eyelid swelling.
4. Light sensitivity (photophobia).
5. Eye pain.
6. Eye redness.
7. Vision loss.

Children under the age of five are more vulnerable to illness. However, the condition is slow to advance, and the more painful symptoms may not appear until adulthood.
Trachoma develops in five stages, according to the World Health Organization (WHO):
1. Follicular inflammation. Five or more follicles — little bumps on the inner surface of your upper eyelid that house lymphocytes, a kind of white blood cell — are evident with magnification in the early stages of infection (conjunctiva).

2. Inflammation is at an all-time high. Your eye is very contagious at this point, and it is inflamed, with a thickening or swelling of the upper eyelid.

3. Scarring on the eyelids. Scarring of the inner eyelid occurs as a result of repeated infections. When viewed under magnification, the scars frequently appear as white lines. It's possible that your eyelid will become deformed and turn inward (entropion).

4. Eyelashes that are bent inward (trichiasis). Your eyelid's damaged inner lining continues to distort, causing your lashes to curl inward, rubbing against and scratching the translucent outer surface of your eye (cornea).

5. Corneal haziness (opacity). An inflammation affects the cornea, which is most typically observed under your top lid. Continuous inflammation, exacerbated by scratching from in-turned lashes, causes corneal clouding.

Note:
Certain variants of Chlamydia trachomatis, a bacterium that can also cause, a sexually transmitted infection, produce trachoma. Trachoma is transferred by coming into contact with the discharge from an infected person's eyes or nose. Transmission can occur through the use of hands, clothing, towels, and insects. Eye-seeking flies are also a source of transmission in poor countries.