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Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane (conjunctiva) that covers the white part of your eyeball. It may be allergic, or infective.
The blood vessels of the surface of the eye dilate giving the eye a flushed, pink or red appearance. This may be caused by a bacterial or viral infection, or an allergic reaction. In this section, we will be dealing with the infective conjunctivitis, or pink eye, which is also known as eye flu.
Infective conjunctivitis can be contagious, and care must be taken to help limit its spread.
Symptoms:
- Redness of eyes
- Swelling or boggy appearance of conjunctiva and eyelids
- Gritty feeling in the eye, discomfort
- Watering and copius discharge
- Transient blurring of vision
Management
- Strict hand hygiene, always clean hands after touching your face or cleaning the eyes
- Do not wear contact lenses until your eye doctor permits you to
- Do not share towels, pillows, eye makeup
- Topical tear supplements: Usually preservative free eyedrops that keep the eyes lubricated help increase patient comfort
- NSAIDS or Non steroidal anti-inflammatory agents: Help by decreasing the inflammation caused by the infection, and ease discomfort
- Disease specific antibiotic or antiviral agents: if required. Soemtimes doctors prescribe a broad spectrum antibiotic even for viral conjunctivitis to prevent a super added infection, especially if the patient is diabetic or immunocompromised
Eye Injuries
Eye injuries can sometimes cause serious damage, especially if not managed in time. It is prudent to see an eye doctor even for seemingly trivial eye injuries, regardless of whether you perceive a decrease in vision or not. Till such time that you reach your eye doctor, this is what you should do:
Something in the Eye (Foreign body)
• Do not rub the eye
• Pull down the upper lid and blink repeatedly
• Do not use tweezers or even cotton swab/buds on the black part of the eye (Cornea)
• You may try and use a sterile cotton swab/ bud gently remove the speck from to white of the eye or lid
• Wash the eye with drinking water
• See a doctor if the speck does not wash out
Cuts/ Stabs/Jabs in the eye
• Do not rub the eye
• Do not wash the eye
• Do not try to remove any foreign body stuck in the eye, seek immediate medical attention
Chemical Exposure
• Don’t rub your eyes
• Immediately wash the eye with lots of water, for at least ten to fifteen minutes
• Do not bandage the eye
• Seek immediate medical attention
Eye Allergy
Eye allergies, called allergic conjunctivitis, result when the eyes are exposed to something that irritates them (called an allergen). Because of this, the eyelids and conjunctiva may become red, swollen and itchy, with excessive tearing. Unlike infective conjunctivitis (which maybe bacterial, or more commonly, viral) allergic conjunctivitis is not transmitted by contact with the person suffering from it.
Causes:
- Seasonal allergies: triggered by pollen, mould spores etc
- Perennial allergies: exposure to other environmental triggers such as dust, smoke, pet hair, make up products
Symptoms:
- Redness of eye
Watering/ stringy/ ropey discharge
Swelling of conjunctiva, eyelids
Treatment:
Identifying and removing the cause of allergic conjunctivitis, whenever possible, is critical. It’s best to avoid arid, dusty environs and to protect the eyes with wrap-around sunglasses from potential exposure to allergy causing agents. A humidifier to avoid the dryness caused by air-conditioning also helps. Ice packs and cold water compresses help in reducing the discomfort due to an eye allergy. The treatment options that your doctor will chose from are listed below. These are used in various combinations depending on disease severity and duration.
Topical tear supplements: Usually preservative free eye drops that keep the eyes lubricated help with decreasing the allergen load, as well as increase patient comfort.
Antihistamine eye drops: Help by decreasing the redness and the generalised allergic response.
Mast cell stabilizers eye drops:These act in the long term providing prophylaxis against a potential allergic reaction, and are recommended for those struggling with seasonal and perennial allergies.
NSAIDS or Non steroidal anti-inflammatory agents: Help by decreasing the inflammation caused by the allergies, and ease discomfort.
Steroid eye drops: Are usually limited to the severe cases not responding to conventional therapy, and must be used under strict medical supervision because of potential side effects.
Oral antihistamines (tablets) maybe prescribed in severe cases.