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Dry eyesm allergies with outbreaks of HSV-1 in lips.

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I have hsv-1 and have been infected for 5 years old patientnow. Thus far ive only had outbreaks on my lip which is where my first outbreak occured. Ive been seeing alot of research on webmd, patient.com, medicine.net, emedicinehealth.com, harvard.edu, mayo clinic, cdc.gov, and summitmedicalgroup.com lately stating that hsv-1 can reactivate at random and rather than traveling back down to my lips it will follow the nerves to my eyes instead causing ocular herpes even if I don't actually spread it there by touching a sore then my eye. I've noticed that based on research this occurs for the first time in people mostly between the ages of 30-40, people with previous hsv infections of the mouth or nose, and people who wear contact lenses. My fear is im about to enter my 30's, i have cold sore reactivation blisters on my lips from time to time, and i wear contact lenses daily. Im wondering should i give up contact lenses to lessen my chances of hsv randomly spreading through my trigeminal nerve and activating in my eye instead of just going back to my lip like it has been thus far? I also suffer from dry eyes and allergies and  have to use over the counter allergy eye drops and over the counter lubricating eye drops and even sometimes the prescription Restasis. I don't know if any of that increases my risk or not

Category: Ophthalmologist

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Dr. Manish Malhotra
Category: Ophthalmologist
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 22 Doctors Online

Expert:  Dr. Manish Malhotra
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Hello,
Thanks for your query at DoctorSpring.com
I don't think wearing contact lenses would be a reason to acquire ocular HSV. You just need to maintain proper hygiene and cleanliness before wearing them on. A direct touch first to blisters and then back to eyes may spread the infection to the eyes.
Hope it helps,
Regards


Patient replied :

Thank you doctor for your response, here are some snap shots of the articles that I had read through that caused my concern.


Expert:  Dr. Manish Malhotra
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Hello,
Thanks for getting back. I can see why you are concerned, but I can assure you that with proper aseptic precautions before putting the contact lenses on there is no way you can eye infection from it.
Regards


Patient replied :

I guess I thought maybe it didn't have anything to do with dirty lenses it was just that maybe contacts put more stress on the eyes or dry them or something thus weakening them making it more likely for herpes to randomly activate there. So I should pay no attention to any of those articles I showed you in the pictures?


Expert:  Dr. Manish Malhotra
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No, please contiue using the lenses, as long as you can maintain strict lens hygiene.
Regards.


Patient replied :

One other concern I have is I've recently in the last year started randomly suffering from irritated eyes and dry eyes. Even during warm humid seasons. I almost daily have to use regular over the counter moisturizing and lubricating eye drops and I also at times have a prescription for Restasis eye drops. I get bad allergies as well and use Zaditor eye drops for that. Will allergy eyes and or really dry irritated eyes affect my risk at all for herpes to just one day randomly travel down the nerves to my eyes and give me an ocular herpes infection rather than just traveling to my lips as it always has since I was first infected with this virus? Don't know if dry eye damage or allergies or any of those drops affect my immune system and keeping the herpes virus out of my eyes.


Expert:  Dr. Manish Malhotra
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No it will not increase your risk for Herpes. Recurrence of herpes through nerves into the eyes has nothing to do with the things you mentioned.

Dr. Manish Malhotra
Category: Ophthalmologist
Experience: 
Fellowship: L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad
Fellow Pediatric Ophthalmology & Squint (L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad)
Medical School, Residency: MBBS, DOMS, FLVPEI, Nagpur university, 1995
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