How to treat allergic conjunctivitis

Are your eyes red again? Do you have the feeling that for the eyelids you have poured a centner of selected sand? Perhaps you are just overworked? Or is there a much more serious reason? For example, allergic conjunctivitis.

Many people do not attach importance to this disease, considering it only a concomitant symptom of allergies. In part they are right. But you must admit, this is not a matter of letting a problem that threatens your vision take its course. And now we will tell you how to mitigate the impact of this insidious disease on your life.

Causes and varieties

Conjunctivitis is an ocular form of an allergic reaction to irritants. As a rule, on pollen , dust or wool. However, it can also manifest itself during a food or drug allergy.

Depending on the causes, doctors distinguish the following forms of the disease:

• Spring . Another name is spring Qatar. The reason for this is sunlight. Appears in spring and summer. It affects, first of all, children and adults under 25 years of age, predominantly males;
• Medicinal . As the name implies, it occurs in response to taking allergenic drugs;
• Pollinosa . The most common form of allergic conjunctivitis. It occurs upon contact with plant pollen;
• Tuberculosis-allergic . In this case, the sources of trouble are Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In this case, not only the mucous membrane of the eye is affected, but also the cornea;
• Hyperpapillary (aka macropapillary). The real scourge of those who wear contact lenses. Its cause is both the lenses themselves and the means to care for them;
• Infectious-allergic . It develops when the eye is damaged by pathogenic bacteria or fungi. Often acts as a complication in simpler forms;
• Chronic . Occurs on a regular basis due to frequent contact with the allergen.

In addition, the reaction can occur in response to tobacco smoke, incense, cosmetics and a number of products. First of all, chocolate , citrus fruits and milk .

Symptoms

The first symptoms of the disease appear within a few minutes after contact with the allergen. These include:

• Increased tearing from the eyes, accompanied by burning and itching;
• Redness of proteins, the appearance of a network of capillary vessels on the eye;
• Edema of the eyelids, bruising in the eye area;
• Increased fatigue and photophobia.

In the later stages, allergic conjunctivitis gets additional signs:

1. Dryness of the mucous membranes, accompanied by pain when moving the pupils;
2. Difficulty focusing vision;
3. The appearance of papillae on the mucous membranes;
4. The appearance of purulent discharge in the corners of the eye. In some cases, abscesses (barley) appear on the eyelids.

Symptoms usually coexist with the main signs of an allergic reaction, such as a runny nose, rash, or upset stomach. In addition, with conjunctivitis, an exacerbation of existing eye diseases is possible. For example, glaucoma or keratitis.

Diagnosis of the disease

Diagnosis of this disease is carried out by the specialties of an ophthalmologist and an allergist-immunologist. Moreover, it is recommended to start with an ophthalmologist in order to weed out the possibility of eye pathologies that have similar symptoms.

Children are a particular problem. Here, conjunctivitis often has a non-allergenic nature. Therefore, parents are also advised to visit a pediatrician and a gastroenterologist.

The main task of diagnosis is to determine the form of allergic conjunctivitis and to establish the culprit allergen. For this, the following studies are assigned:

• Blood test for immunoglobulin E. Allows you to unambiguously determine the presence of an allergic reaction;
• Blood test for allergens . Allows you to identify specific allergens that led to the disease;
• Skin tests . An analogue of the previous test, but instead of blood tests, allergen samples are applied to the patient's skin. An old and proven test, but with a number of limitations. The appointment of this analysis is prohibited for pregnant and lactating mothers, children under 4 years of age and cancer patients.
• provocative tests. Here, special eye drops-provocateurs containing an allergen solution are used. The test is fast and accurate enough, but it is forbidden to use it during an exacerbation of the disease. In addition, such an analysis has a number of side effects that your doctor must warn you about.

Treatment of the disease

According to the results of the research, the attending physician prescribes the appropriate treatment. In many ways, it is determined by the form and cause of the disease. For example, in the infectious form of allergic conjunctivitis, treatment with standard antihistamines is ineffective.

In general, the following types of medicines are used for treatment:

• Antihistamines of the second (Kestin, Tsetrin) or third (Erius, Ksizal) generation. They are successfully used against spring and pollinous forms. At the same time, it is recommended to give preference to third-generation drugs, as more reliable and safe;
• Eye drops based on topical corticosteroids. A fairly effective remedy, but as with any steroid drugs, it is necessary to consult a doctor before using them;
• Preparations based on cromoglycic acid (Cromohexal or Lecrolin). Old and proven drugs with high efficacy against conjunctivitis. Their main disadvantage is the need for long-term use (more than 10 days). However, sometimes this feature is an advantage.
• In the bacterial form of the disease, drugs are prescribed that have antibiotics in their composition. These include Tobrex, Levomycetin, Floksal.

As for the treatment of "folk remedies", the only thing that can help with allergic conjunctivitis is cold compresses on the eyes, which relieve swelling. Other methods are ineffective, and some of them, for example, washing the eyes with tea leaves, can cause complications due to the infection.

Compliance with additional doctor's prescriptions plays an important role in treatment. The main one is the maximum restriction of contact with the allergen. A hypoallergenic diet can also play a significant role .

General Tips

We immediately upset: the only effective method of preventing the disease is the complete exclusion of contact with the allergen. But if the disease cannot be avoided, then its course can be seriously alleviated by following a number of simple tips:

• Don't rub your eyes when itchy. This leads to the introduction of infections and increased inflammatory processes;
• Do not drink alcohol during an exacerbation and during the course of treatment. It enhances the effect of allergens and reduces the effect of the use of drugs;
• Wearing contact lenses with conjunctivitis is prohibited. The use of eye cosmetics is also prohibited;
• If you are allergic to pollen, try to stay indoors. If you had to go outside, take a shower with the obligatory washing of your hair, rinse your eyes and nose, and brush your teeth upon your return.

And most importantly: do not let allergic conjunctivitis ruin your life. Yes, this is a problem, but only as long as you consider it as such. Be healthy!