Provoke the onset of conjunctivitis mayVarious factors: overcooling or, on the contrary, overheating, swimming in a reservoir with non-flowing water. In children, conjunctivitis often arises from sand or dust getting into the eyes while playing games, as well as violating the rules of hygiene - for example, a baby may rub his eyelids with dirty hands. In addition, with colds, conjunctivitis can also occur. Its treatment in this case is carried out in parallel with the therapy of the underlying disease.
There are several types of conjunctivitis, waystheir treatments have their own specifics. Based on the causes of the disease, viral, bacterial, parasitic, fungal or allergic conjunctivitis is isolated. The causative agents of the first of these are most often adenoviruses, less often - enteroviruses, herpes virus. Viral conjunctivitis, the treatment of which can last for several weeks, is accompanied by moderate redness and swelling of the conjunctiva. Discharge from the eyes, in contrast to bacterial conjunctivitis, with it is not abundant and non-purulent. In most cases, viral conjunctivitis develops on the background of acute respiratory viral infections and is accompanied by characteristic symptoms: fever, headaches, general malaise. It can also increase the submandibular lymph nodes.
Viral conjunctivitis is characterized by highcontagiousness (infectiousness) and a high probability of complications. Thus, an increased tearing and photophobia indicate the possible spread of inflammation to the cornea of the eyes. A rather serious symptom is pain in the eyeball. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor, otherwise in the future there may be a decrease in vision. For the treatment of viral conjunctivitis use drops, which contain recombinant interferon alpha-2b (okoferon) and antiviral drugs (oxolin, gludantan). In the treatment of herpetic varieties, in addition, apply acyclovir.
Bacterial conjunctivitis cause pyogenic(purulent) bacteria, so eye excretions are usually abundant. Sometimes it is difficult for patients to open their eyes after sleep: this prevents lashes and eyelids that are stuck together from pus. In some cases, bacterial conjunctivitis, the treatment of which requires the use of ointments and drops with antibiotics, can manifest itself only with dry eyes and a foreign body sensation in them. It should be understood that sometimes bacterial conjunctivitis is a symptom of a fairly serious infectious diseases. Therefore, it is desirable to consult a doctor at the first signs. In case of conjunctivitis of viral and bacterial nature, inflammation often begins on one eye, then switches to the second.
To avoid infecting other family membersa patient with an infectious conjunctivitis needs a separate soap and towel. In the bacterial form of the disease, when purulent discharge is present, the pillow case should be changed daily.
The cause of allergic conjunctivitis isthe body’s specific reaction to an allergen, manifested by itching and burning in the eyes, profuse tearing. This conjunctivitis, the treatment of which involves taking antihistamines, often accompanies allergic rhinitis. Sometimes this disease can begin after the use of some eye drops, used, for example, in cataracts or glaucoma. To alleviate the condition of patients, in addition to antiallergic drugs, “Artificial tear” drops will help, but it should be remembered that sometimes they themselves can cause a local allergic reaction. Treatment of allergic conjunctivitis in severe form may require the use of glucocorticosteroids.
In addition to acute forms of conjunctivitis,chronic, the cause of which lies in external stimuli (dust, smoke), as well as diseases of metabolism or vitamin deficiency. In the first case, chronic conjunctivitis, the treatment of which must be complex, often takes place when changing jobs. In the treatment of both chronic and acute forms of the disease, it is possible to use folk remedies (for example, washing the eyes with decoction of chamomile or rosehip, applying compresses of raw potatoes), but only with the permission of the doctor.
