Herpes of the eye?

Hi Scared,

Thanks for posting your question.  I am not a doctor, but I do have, and am knowledgeable about, herpes and so I think I can answer you.

Herpes of the eye can be contracted the same way one might contract genital or oral herpes, as it's just another mucous membrane opening.  You must come in contact with the herpes virus externally (it cannot spread, say, from oral herpes to your eye internally).  Often eye herpes is caused by someone with genital or oral herpes who touches a sore, doesn't wash his/her hands properly, then touches his/her eye.  That is why it's so important to avoid touching infected parts of your body when you're having an outbreak, and to wash your hands when you do.  It could be possible to contract eye herpes by having your eye come in contact with a herpes-infected part of someone else's body.  But that would be rare since people often don't rub their eyes on other people's body parts (especially if that body part has a sore on it).

To learn more about how herpes spreads, I recommend you check out the Transmission page.

PJ