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Episcleritis is an infection of the eye that is frequently misdiagnosed by ER doctors and ophthalmologists alike.

Did you ever think you had a corneal scratch or a corneal abrasion, but it didn't heal as quickly as you thought? Was the surface of your eye red and irritated? Did it feel like you had something caught in your eye, like dust, but you couldn't get it out?

You may have Episcleritis. While it is a common condition it often is misdiagnosed as an injury to the eye. In fact, it is an infection of the episclera, a middle layer of the epithelium of the eye.

There is no danger from episcleritis. it occurs most often in young women ages 18-24 and is a chronic condition. The symptoms are redness in the white area surrounding the eye, itchiness, pain and discomfort. Episcleritis should go away on its own, but if the symptoms are bad a doctor can prescribe steroid eye drops to aid in healing time.

It is not contagious - you didn't catch it and it can't be spread. Because it is not dangerous to you or your vision there has not been much research done on it, and there is not much information available about it.

I was misdiagnosed twice before I finally found an opthamologist who could tell me what was really going on. It is scary to get a diagnosis and not get better, so please remember to ask your eye doctor if you might have episcleritis.

Learn more about this author, Samantha Enns.
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