How to treat seasonal allergic conjunctivitis

This is the 4489th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

Conjunctivitis is a common ophthalmic disease, mainly caused by a series of inflammations due to microbial infection or external stimulation. Common conjunctivitis can be divided into the following three types: viral, allergic, and bacterial [1]. Among them, allergic conjunctivitis is caused by allergens. It is a disease caused by the eye's reaction to allergens. Its incidence is increasing and seriously affects the quality of life of patients. A large part of it is caused by allergens, such as seasonal allergic conjunctivitis. At present, about 20% of the world's population is affected by some kind of allergen, and up to 60% of patients will experience eye symptoms. Although conjunctivitis itself does not have a serious impact on vision, when its inflammation spreads to the cornea or causes complications, it can cause visual impairment. In severe cases, it can cause corneal scars or pannus. It is important to diagnose and treat it early to improve the patient's quality of life, reduce recurrence, and avoid complications [2-4].

Every spring, flowers bloom and catkins fly. In fact, not only catkins, but also pollen, dust mites, etc. can cause allergic conjunctivitis. So how can we prevent this kind of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis?

1. Try to avoid or reduce contact with catkins, pollen, etc., such as wearing a mask and glasses when outdoors.

2. When air pollution is serious, you should reduce the time of outdoor activities. If you must be outdoors, you should take good protection. For dust mites, you should clean the room in time, maintain hygiene, and remove mites in time.

3. For dust mites, you should clean the room in time, maintain hygiene, and remove the mites in time.

4. Avoid keeping your eyes dry and prone to allergies, and maintain eye hygiene, such as washing your hands frequently and reducing the wearing of contact lenses.

The common mechanism of seasonal allergic conjunctivitis in clinical practice is mainly type I hypersensitivity reaction. The typical symptoms are itchy eyes, a foreign body sensation, and sometimes increased eye discharge or a feeling of sand in the eyes. So how should seasonal allergic conjunctivitis be treated once it occurs? The main purpose of treatment is to relieve symptoms, control the underlying inflammatory process, and prevent the occurrence of the disease [5].

First, don’t rub your eyes.

This will lead to worsening of conjunctivitis symptoms. At the same time, allergens need to be screened and kept away from them. However, a large number of patients may not be able to find the exact allergens, which makes allergic conjunctivitis difficult to cure.

Second, clean your face

Lower the temperature of the eyes to reduce the release of allergic substances and relieve eye discomfort symptoms.

Third, intervention with anti-allergic drugs

Such as naphazoline, pheniramine, etc., rebound bleeding may occur in the case of long-term use of these drugs, so the use cycle should be noted when using them. Glucocorticoids such as fluorometholone and prednisolone are suitable for conjunctivitis where other antihistamines do not significantly suppress symptoms. Such as loratadine and cetirizine, etc., these drugs are helpful for patients with allergic rhinitis and systemic itching. The drug takes effect slower than topical medication, so it can also be used for preventive medication. If you are in the acute attack period, you can use local antihistamines with mast cell stabilization properties, such as olopatadine, ketotifen, etc.

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Finally, for seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, you should also pay attention to the following points:

Pay attention to diet and maintain a proper work and rest schedule: its occurrence is often closely related to staying up late and eating an unclean diet.

Pay attention to personal hygiene, wash your hands frequently, pay attention to eye hygiene, and do not rub your eyes when they are itchy.

Try to avoid or reduce contact with allergens, and take precautions when going out.

References:

[1]. Alfonso SA, Fawley JD, Alexa Lu X. Conjunctitis. Prim Care. 2015;42(3):325-345. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2015.05.001

[2]. Villegas BV, Benitez-Del-Castillo JM. Current Knowledge in Allergic Conjunctivitis. Turk J Ophthalmol. 2021;51(1):45-54. doi:10.4274/tjo.galenos.2020.11456

[3]. Donshik PC. Allergic conjunctivitis. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 1988;28(4):294-302. doi:10.1097/00004397-198802840-00007

[4]. Miyazaki D, Fukagawa K, Okamoto S, et al. Epidemiological aspects of allergic conjunctivitis. Allergol Int. 2020;69(4):487-495. doi:10.1016/j.alit.2020.06.004

[5]. Schröder K, Finis D, Meller S, Wagenmann M, Geerling G, Pleyer U. Saisonale allergische Konjunktivitis [Seasonal allergic conjunctivitis]. Ophthalmologe. 2017;114(11):1053-1065. doi:10.1007/s00347-017-0580-1

Author: Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital

Cheng Peiqiu