Trachoma

Trachoma is an eye infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in the world and is associated with limited hygiene conditions and close contact with infected people.

How it shows up: it begins with redness, irritation, and discharge in the eyes; over time and with reinfections it can affect the eyelids and the cornea.

Common causes: it is transmitted through direct contact with eye or nasal secretions from an infected person, as well as through shared objects such as towels.

Professional care: the specialist who evaluates and follows up on this condition is the ophthalmologist. With persistent eye discomfort or recurrent discharge, the prudent thing is to seek an evaluation with this specialist rather than waiting for it to resolve on its own.