People who wear contacts should clean them as directed and remove them when sleeping. Individuals should wear safety glasses to prevent injury and contamination of the eyes in high-risk situations. Eye makeup and brushes should not be shared. Effective treatment of allergies may prevent some corneal ulcers.
If corneal ulcers are not treated, the person may have corneal scarring, permanent visual impairment, or even a hole in the cornea.
A corneal ulcer is not contagious. However, an underlying infection may be spread from one person to another.