Allergy

Allergic conjunctivitis is a common condition, which is often associated with other allergic symptoms, especially symptoms of the nasal mucosa, such as hay-fever. Half of the people’s allergies are seasonal (pollen season). In seasonal allergic conjunctivitis the symptoms are normally more pronounced than in year-round allergic conjunctivitis.

Symptoms

Causes

Allergic conjunctivitis, like other forms of allergies, is usually caused by hypersensitive response to compounds or organisms in the environment. Allergic conjunctivitis is quite common which is explained by the fact that the surface of the eye (cornea and conjunctiva) is constantly exposed to allergens. There are thousands of known allergens in the world. In allergic conjunctivitis, the most typical allergens are: pollens, dust of animal origin, medicinal and cosmetic products.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis is based on a doctor’s examination. When the eye is being examined, redness of the eye and a discharge may be observed. The discharge is typically clear and elastic, unlike the discharge found in eye inflammation caused by bacterial infection where the discharge is purulent. Moreover, typical changes (follicles and papillae) in the mucosa covering the insides of the eyelids may be observed. To establish the diagnosis it may be necessary to do specific tests to find out the allergen behind the symptoms.

Treatment

Allergic conjunctivitis is a very common condition especially during the pollen season. Allergic conjunctivitis does not usually cause significant health problems. However, it often disturbs the everyday life and worsens the quality of life. The most important thing in the treatment of allergic diseases is, naturally, to eliminate the cause (allergen) in the patient’s environment. Unfortunately, this is not always possible and therefore it is necessary to relieve the symptoms of many allergic patients with medication or desensitization. Topical treatment with eye drops is the simplest treatment for allergic ocular symptoms.