Inflammatory lesions of the mucous membrane of the eyes can hardly be considered a rarity, since many people face similar problems. So what is such a disease, and what are the main symptoms of conjunctivitis? These questions are of interest to many, especially given the fact that children are more prone to this disease.
Conjunctivitis: causes of the disease
In fact, the inflammatory process occurs under the influence of completely different factors of the external, and sometimes internal environment. But it should be understood that the causes of conjunctivitis, the symptoms and treatment of the disease are closely interrelated. The clinical picture of each form of the disease has its own differences, and, of course, therapy depends primarily on the causes of its occurrence.
In most cases inflammation is the result of active infection. Moreover, pathogenic microorganisms can enter the mucous membrane both from the external environment (for example, upon contact with an infected person) and from internalfoci. In particular, some sexually transmitted infections are often accompanied by tonsillitis and conjunctivitis. The occurrence of an inflammatory process may be associated with a bacterial or fungal infection, as well as viruses.
There is also an allergic form of the disease, in which mucosal lesions occur upon contact with certain chemicals, fluff, animal protein metabolism products, plant pollen, cosmetics, etc.
Main symptoms of conjunctivitis
Such diseases are accompanied by very characteristic signs that cannot be overlooked. On the other hand, the symptoms of conjunctivitis directly depend on the nature of the pathogen:
- The bacterial form of the disease usually has an acute onset and is often accompanied by fever, headache, or fatigue. Patients complain of severe pain and burning in the eyes, as well as increased sensitivity to light. Often on the sclera of the eyes you can notice pinpoint hemorrhages, which are the cause of soreness. Inflammation is accompanied by profuse purulent or mucopurulent discharge of a yellowish or greenish color.
- Cutting, burning, lacrimation and small hemorrhages are also accompanied by viral inflammation. But in this case, the symptoms of conjunctivitis are slightly different: the discharge with a similar form of the disease is scanty and mucous.
Interestingly, most often only one eye is affected at first, and only after 1-4 days the infection moves to the nextmucous membrane.
But allergic conjunctivitis looks completely different, and the intensity of its symptoms depends on the nature of the allergen. By the way, an allergic reaction is accompanied by damage to both visual analyzers at once, which is an important fact. Redness and swelling of the mucous membrane, burning, pain and pain in the eyes, constant tearing, photophobia - all these are symptoms of conjunctivitis caused by allergies.
In any case, if you have such problems, you should immediately contact an ophthalmologist. Attempting to self-medicate or ignoring symptoms can lead to negative consequences and affect visual acuity.
How to treat conjunctivitis?
Therapy in this case depends on the causes of inflammation. In the presence of a bacterial infection, eye drops containing antibiotics, for example, Levomycetin, are used for treatment. If the cause is an allergic reaction, then you need to determine the allergen, eliminate possible contacts with potentially dangerous substances and take antihistamines, in particular, the drugs Diazolin, Loratidin, Claritin will be effective. Viral conjunctivitis requires taking vitamins and immunomodulators. In addition, it is necessary to clean the eyes of secretions. For this, strong brewing of black tea, a chamomile decoction compress, or ordinary boiled water is suitable.
