What is conjunctivitis? Symptoms, causes and treatment of conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation or infection of a transparent membrane (conjunctiva) located under the eyelid and covering the belly of the eye. When small blood vessels in the conjunctiva become inflamed, they become more noticeable. The eye white, respectively, acquires a reddish or pink color.

In general, what is conjunctivitis? This disease caused by a bacterial or viral infection, an allergic reaction, or (in children) not fully open tear duct.

Although this condition often causes irritation, it almost never affects the eyesight. Various treatments help ease the discomfort caused by conjunctivitis. Given that the disease is contagious, early diagnosis should be provided and appropriate therapy should be taken in time to avoid spreading the infection. Make sure that you and your relatives know well how to cure conjunctivitis.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of conjunctivitis are:

• Redness (in one or both eyes);
• Itching;
• Feeling of sand in the eyes;
• Excretions, forming a crust overnight, which does not allow opening eyes in the morning;
• Lacrimation.

When to see a doctor

Consult a specialist if you know exactly what conjunctivitis is, and notice its signs. The disease remains contagious for two weeks after the onset of the first symptoms. Early diagnosis and adequate treatment help to prevent infection of others.

Patients who wear contact lenses should stop using them at the time of signs of infection. If the symptoms do not become weaker within 12-24 hours, you should consult an ophthalmologist and make sure that this is not a more serious infection associated with the wearing of contact lenses.

In addition, reddening of the eyes can cause other diseases - usually associated with pain and visual impairment. If you find these symptoms, and if you do not know how to cure conjunctivitis, you should seek emergency medical help.

Causes

The causes of conjunctivitis can be:

• Viruses;
• Bacteria;
• Allergies;
• Getting into the eyes of chemicals;
• Foreign body in the eye;
• Blockage of the lacrimal canal (in newborns).

Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis

Both these types of disease can spread both to one and both eyes. Viral infection usually causes lachrymation, bacterial infection - the appearance of thick yellow-green discharge. Both varieties can result from colds or are accompanied by symptoms of an airway infection, such as sore throat.

Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are equally contagious. The infection spreads through direct or indirect contact with secretions from the eyes of a sick person.

Adults and children are equally susceptible to these types of disease, but children are more often diagnosed with bacterial conjunctivitis. Treatment at home in this case does not always help, and you should contact the polyclinic to the district pediatrician.

Allergic conjunctivitis

What is conjunctivitis and how to classify it, if inflammation is not caused by infections? Disease of the allergic type affects both eyes and is a response to the effect of an allergen, for example pollen. In response to this irritating factor, the human body produces an antibody called immunoglobulin E. This body acts on special cells called obese (or mast cells) and located in the mucous membrane of the eyes and respiratory tract. Mast cells produce inflammatory substances, including histamines. The development of histamine contributes to the emergence of a number of allergic signs and symptoms, including redness of the eyes.

If you have chronic conjunctivitis caused by an allergy, most likely, it is accompanied by severe itching, lacrimation and inflammation of the eyes. It is also possible to sneeze and the appearance of watery discharge from the nose. As a rule, allergic conjunctivitis can be kept under control with the help of special eye drops.

Inflammation due to irritation

Irritation from exposure to a chemical or the presence of a foreign body in the eye can also turn into chronic conjunctivitis. Sometimes washing and cleaning the eyes, aimed at removing an alien object or chemical, causes redness and irritation. Symptoms and symptoms of the disease, which may include lacrimation and mucous discharge, usually disappear on their own within 24 hours.

Risk factors

There are circumstances that increase the risk of the disease. These include:

• Effects of the allergen.
• Immediate proximity to the carrier of a viral or bacterial infection. In this case, viral conjunctivitis is especially dangerous, the symptoms of which are not immediately apparent.
• Wearing contact lenses, especially suitable for long-term use.

Treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis

If the infection is caused by bacteria, the doctor prescribes antibiotics in the form of eye drops, and the disease will last for several days. Often doctors recommend "Phloxal". It has a pronounced antimicrobial effect directed against pathogenic bacteria, which most often cause infection-inflammatory lesions of the eyes. It is important to remember that with bacterial conjunctivitis, drops should be instilled 2-4 times a day until the symptoms disappear completely, but not less than 7 consecutive days, even if the painful manifestations are removed almost immediately. This is due to the fact that microorganisms have the ability to develop resistance to any antibacterial drugs, and if the course of treatment is interrupted immediately after the disappearance of symptoms of inflammation, the effectiveness of subsequent use of the drug may be significantly lower. In some cases, in the treatment of infection in young children (pediatric conjunctivitis) is prescribed not drops, but antibacterial ointment for the eyes. It is usually easier to put on the eyes of an infant than to drip drops, although a medication of this type can cloud the eyesight within twenty minutes after application. In any case, after the initiation of therapy, the symptoms disappear after a few days. Follow the doctor's instructions and apply antibiotics for a given period to prevent relapse.

Treatment of viral conjunctivitis

What is conjunctivitis caused by a virus, and how to deal with it? Most types of viral conjunctivitis can not be cured with medicines. Instead, the virus is allowed to go through a complete cycle of its existence in a foreign organism - it can take up to two to three weeks. Viral conjunctivitis, the symptoms of which are similar to those of a bacterial infection, usually begin in one eye and after a few days spread to another. The signs and symptoms of the disease are gradually weakening without medication.

You may need to take antiviral drugs (for example, "Acyclovir") in the event that the doctor determines that the primary cause of inflammation of the eyes is the herpes simplex virus.

Treatment of allergic conjunctivitis

If eye irritation is an allergic reaction, the doctor will prescribe special eye drops to treat allergies. There are a lot of such drops (including "Opatanol", "Levokabastin"). They can contain medications that can control the allergic reaction (antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers), or substances that affect the inflammatory process (decongestants, steroids and anti-inflammatory drops).

How quickly to cure conjunctivitis without medicines? The intensity of symptoms can be reduced by yourself if you are careful and avoid contact with allergens.

Conjunctivitis: treatment at home

To facilitate the course of the disease, it is recommended to take the following measures:

• Apply compresses. To make a compress, dip a clean lint-free cloth into the water and squeeze it well, then attach it to the closed eyelids. Usually, cold compresses have the most emollient effect, but some patients become lighter when using warm water. If the infection has hit only one eye, do not touch a healthy one with the same tissue - so you will reduce the risk of spreading the disease.
• Try eye drops. In pharmacies without a prescription, eye drops are released under the general name "Artificial tear" - they alleviate the symptoms of conjunctivitis. Some drops contain antihistamines and other drugs that can help people with allergic conjunctivitis.
• Stop using contact lenses. If you wear contact lenses, it is advisable not to wear them until your condition improves. The length of the period of rejection of lenses depends on the causes of inflammation of the eyes. Ask your doctor if you should discard the lenses together with the cleaning solution and container. If you can not just take and throw away your contact lenses, thoroughly clean them before re-use.