Allergic conjunctivitis treatment

Inflammation can be caused by various irritants: medications, skin care products, cosmetics, contact lenses, household chemicals, viruses, bacteria, etc. The reaction to any of the allergens when it gets on the conjunctiva occurs in people who are especially sensitive to a particular type of irritant. Unlike bacterial and viral, this type of conjunctivitis affects both eyes at once. It is characterized by lacrimation, swelling of the eyelids, itching, redness and burning.

Depending on the mechanism of occurrence, the following types are distinguished:

• Chronic (year-round). One of the most common. The main irritants are animal hair, dust, household chemicals and mites.
• Medicinal. It can be caused by long-term use of medications, as well as individual intolerance to them.
• Pollinoses. It appears during the flowering period of trees, plants and flowers (especially during spring pollination).
• Atopic (acute). It worsens in the spring and summer and depends on the body's immunological reactions. It mainly occurs in adults.
• Seasonal (spring). It is considered a rather severe form, since the causative agent of inflammation is a variety of blooms, from which it is difficult to accurately determine a specific causative irritant.
• Giant capillary. Usually occurs due to wearing contact lenses and is determined by symptoms such as the appearance of large tubercles under the upper eyelid on the mucous membrane.

Procedure

Damage to the mucous membrane of the eye is diagnosed by an ophthalmologist. However, an allergist is also competent in this matter, because this disease often occurs together with other manifestations of allergies. Clarification of a specific irritant requires examination and appropriate tests. The most important thing is to eliminate the factor causing the inflammatory reaction as much as possible.

Treatment of allergic conjunctivitis involves the use of the following drugs:

• antihistamines;
• anti-inflammatory;
• drops and ointments (for dry eye syndrome and restorative);
• in case of relapses and complications: antibiotics and corticosteroids (hormones).

During diagnosis, the following measures are carried out:

• general blood test;
• ophthalmoscopy;
• enzyme immunoassay;
• bacterial culture;
• smear of the affected mucous membrane.

Indications

Symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis, signaling the need for treatment, are caused by the destruction of histamine by mast (immune) cells and other active substances. This stimulates irritation of nerve endings, dilation of blood vessels and the appearance of hypersecretion.

Signs:

• redness;
• dilation of small vessels;
• swelling of the eyelids;
• itching, burning;
• profuse lacrimation;
• sensation of sand in the eyes.

As a rule, all symptoms appear almost immediately after contact with the irritant. However, in some cases, the development of the inflammatory process may occur after one or two days.

Contraindications

Traditional treatment may be contraindicated in case of pregnancy due to the potential threat to the fetus. Also, during therapy, individual intolerance to some components of medications may occur. Bacterial infection may be observed as a complication.