What is Bacterial Keratitis?
Bacterial keratitis is an infection of the cornea (the clear dome covering the colored part of the eye) that is caused by bacteria. It can affect contact lens wearers, and also sometimes people who do not wear contact lenses. Types of bacteria that commonly cause bacterial keratitis include:

Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Staphylococcus aureus

Symptoms
Symptoms of bacterial keratitis include:

Eye pain
Eye redness
Blurred vision
Sensitivity to light
Excessive tearing
Eye discharge
If you experience any of these symptoms, remove your contact lenses (if you wear them) and call your eye doctor right away. If left untreated, bacterial keratitis can result in vision loss or blindness.

Treatment must start right away to prevent vision loss.

Cause
Keratitis may or may not be associated with an infection.

Noninfectious keratitis can be caused by:

i) minor injury

ii) wearing contact lenses too long

iii) foreign body in the eye

Infectious keratitis can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Prevent Infection With Proper Contact Lens Care
Follow eye care provider’s instructions to wear, clean and store your contacts. Keep the following points in mind:

Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them with a lint-free towel before handling your contacts.
Remove lenses before going swimming or in a hot tub.
Do not rinse or store your contacts in water (tap or sterile water).
Do not put your lenses in your mouth to wet them.
Do not use saline solution and rewetting drops to disinfect lenses. Neither is an effective or approved disinfectant.
Follow your eye care professional’s schedule for wearing and replacing your contacts.
Use the “rub and rinse” method to clean your contacts. Rub your contact lenses with your fingers, then rinse them with the solution before soaking. Use this method even if the solution you are using is a “no-rub” variety.
Rinse the contact lens case with fresh solution — not water. Air dry the lens case
Keep the contact lens case clean and replace it regularly, at least every three months. Lens cases can be a source of contamination and infection. Do not use cracked or damaged lens cases.
Do not re-use old solution or “top off” the solution in your lens case.
Do not transfer contact lens solution into smaller travel-size containers.
Do not allow the tip of the solution bottle to touch any surface. Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use.
Never wear your lenses after storage for 30 or more days without disinfecting them again.

Treatment
The usual treatment for Bacterial keratitis is antibiotic drops. Treatment may also involve steroid drops. Several visits to ophthalmologists may be required for complete treatment.

If the infection affects the center of the cornea , it may result in decreased vision or complete blindness. Sometimes a cornea transplant is needed to restore vision.