Conjunctivitis is a fairly common disease that most of the population faces at least once in a lifetime. And although the most common cause of inflammation is an infection, often the disease is an allergic reaction. So how is allergic conjunctivitis treated? What are the signs of the disease?
Allergic conjunctivitis: causes
Allergy is nothing more than a manifestation of the body's hypersensitivity to a particular group of substances. But before you find out how allergic conjunctivitis is treated, you should familiarize yourself with the main causes of its occurrence.
To date, the mechanisms of an allergic reaction are not fully understood. Nevertheless, it has been proven that such a problem is often of a genetic nature. Almost any substance can act as an allergen:
- Many people suffer from the so-calledseasonal allergies. In this case, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes occurs as a result of contact with plant pollen.
- Potentially hazardous substances also include various cosmetic products, including soaps, shampoos, mascara, eye cream, etc.
- In some cases, the cause of inflammation is ordinary dust, or rather, the protein decay products of animal organisms (for example, insects) contained in it.
- People working in factories or laboratories often suffer from the disease, as they often have to deal with certain chemicals.
- Prolonged wearing of contact lenses can also lead to inflammation.
- A similar problem is often encountered by people who have undergone an ophthalmic operation, after which scars remain on the mucous membrane.
Statistics also show that this form of conjunctivitis is much more often diagnosed in patients with eczema, dermatosis and other allergic diseases.
Symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis
Most often, the first symptoms appear within a day after contact with the allergen. In this case, there is swelling and redness of the mucous membrane of the eyes. The main symptoms are constant burning and severe itching, which bring a lot of trouble to a person’s life. Symptoms may also include tearing. In most cases, this form of the disease is accompanied by a runny nose. But an allergic reactionaccompanied by the formation of pus - discharge from the eyes is transparent.
Treatment of allergic conjunctivitis: basic principles
With a similar problem, it is best to immediately contact an ophthalmologist, as in some cases, the lack of treatment can lead to damage to the mucous membrane. By the way, allergic conjunctivitis is often diagnosed in children. Treatment depends on both the age of the patient and the severity of the symptoms.
Of course, first of all, it is necessary to determine the nature of the allergen and eliminate any contact with it, for example, change cosmetics, use goggles when working with chemicals, etc.
In addition, the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis includes the use of antihistamines. Doctors also advise using special eye drops that moisturize the eyes, eliminate itching and pain. In some cases, the use of drugs containing steroid hormones is required - they quickly help to eliminate the inflammatory process.
