Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Allergic Conjunctivitis

Understanding About Allergic Conjunctivitis: Causes and Treatment

There are a few different eye allergies and allergic conjunctivitis is one of the most common by far. This is one of the most common but also one of the most treatable eye conditions, both in children and in adults. There are many different factors that can cause allergic conjunctivitis, including viruses, bacteria, irritating substances, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Treatment

There are a few different options when it comes to the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis. One is topical decongestants, which are medicines that help to reduce redness in the eyes by constricting small blood vessels in the eye. As a result the eyes look less pink and are less irritated in general. These are not recommended for long term use however and typically doctors will only suggest that the patient use them for a couple of weeks at the very most.

There are also many topical antihistamines that are available for treatment of allergic conjunctivitis which also help to reduce redness in the eyes but as well swelling and itching. There are topical steroids which are often recommended and which must be used with careful consideration because otherwise they can be potentially dangerous.

The specific treatment plan for allergic conjunctivitis that is going to work best will have to be determined by a medical professional. They will take the person’s personal characteristics into consideration as well as a number of other factors including how severe the condition is and how long they have been dealing with it for. All of these issues are going to play an important role not only in the matter of the doctor deciding on the appropriate treatment but also on how to prevent them from getting it again in the future.

There are many other eye allergies that one can develop as well and of course prevention is always the best method and there are certain things that a person can do in order to prevent themselves from getting any of these conditions as best they can. This includes washing their hands frequently especially after meals and going to the bathroom, avoiding shaking hands as much as possible, and not using anyone else’s cosmetics and other personal items.

Just as one would to prevent a cold, it is important to stay guarded against bacteria and disease because this is how the conjunctivitis, allergic or not, begins. Ask a doctor for more information on this and advice on how to best deal with conjunctivitis if it has already developed.

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