Various factors can provoke the onset of conjunctivitis: hypothermia or, on the contrary, overheating, bathing in a reservoir with running water. In children, conjunctivitis often occurs due to the ingress of sand or dust in the eyes during outdoor games, as well as violation of hygiene rules - for example, a baby can rub his eyelids with dirty hands. In addition, with colds , conjunctivitis can also be observed. In this case, its treatment is carried out in parallel with the therapy of the underlying disease.
There are several types of conjunctivitis, the methods of their treatment 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 them are most often adenoviruses, less often enteroviruses, the herpes virus. Viral conjunctivitis, the treatment of which can last for several weeks, is accompanied by mild redness and swelling of the conjunctiva. Separated from the eyes, in contrast to bacterial conjunctivitis, with it is not abundant and non-purulent. In most cases, viral conjunctivitis develops against the background of acute respiratory viral infections and is accompanied by characteristic symptoms: fever, headaches, and general malaise. With it, submandibular lymph nodes can also increase.
Viral conjunctivitis is characterized by high contagiousness (contagiousness) and a high probability of complications. So, about the possible spread of inflammation in the cornea of the eyes speak increased lacrimation and photophobia. A rather serious symptom is pain in the eyeball. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor, otherwise a decrease in vision is possible in the future. For the treatment of viral conjunctivitis, drops are used that contain recombinant interferon alfa-2b (okoferon) and antiviral drugs (oxolin, gludantan). In the treatment of its herpetic variety, in addition, acyclovir is used.
Bacterial conjunctivitis is caused by pyogenic (purulent) bacteria, therefore, eye discharge with it is usually abundant. Sometimes it is difficult for patients to open their eyes after sleep: this is prevented by eyelashes and eyelids sticking 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 sensation of a foreign body in them. It should be understood that sometimes bacterial conjunctivitis is a symptom of quite serious infectious diseases. Therefore, it is advisable to consult a doctor at the first sign of it. With conjunctivitis of a viral and bacterial nature, inflammation often begins in one eye, then goes to the second.
In order to avoid infection of other family members, a patient with infectious conjunctivitis should be provided with a separate soap and towel. With the bacterial form of the disease, when purulent discharge is present, a pillowcase should be changed daily.
The cause of allergic conjunctivitis is a specific reaction of the body to an allergen, manifested by itching and burning in the eyes, profuse lacrimation. This conjunctivitis, the treatment of which involves taking antihistamines, is often associated with allergic rhinitis. Sometimes this disease can begin after the application of some eye drops, used, for example, for cataracts or glaucoma. In addition to antiallergic drugs, drops of “Artificial Tear” will help ease the condition of patients, however, it should be remembered that sometimes they themselves can cause a local allergic reaction. Severe treatment of allergic conjunctivitis may require the use of glucocorticosteroids.
In addition to acute forms of conjunctivitis, chronic ones can also be noted, the cause of which lies in external irritants (dust, smoke), as well as metabolic diseases or vitamin deficiency. In the first case, chronic conjunctivitis, the treatment of which should be comprehensive, often disappears with a change of work. 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 a decoction of chamomile or rose hips, applying compresses from raw potatoes), but only with the permission of a doctor.