It often happens in the spring: you seem to be not sick, there is not a single sign of a cold, and suddenly on you - the eyes are watering, the eyelids swell and itch. How to be treated and what to treat is not clear. And it is at the end of April - early May, when it is already impossible to catch a cold! The only answer is an allergic conjunctivitis. So, an urgent spring theme: allergic conjunctivitis, antihistamines. We study and are treated together.
What happens to our eyes in the spring?
In early May leaves bloom in the trees, flies go flying, and then the real punishment begins for people suffering from allergic conjunctivitis. This disease occurs when the body's sensitivity is increased to some or other harmless for most people, substance. First of all, allergic conjunctivitis is caused by reaction to pollen of plants, wool, fluff, household chemicals, pesticides, house dust, cosmetic and perfumery. There are other, more rare types of such allergies. Everyone has this disease differently.
How dangerous is this disease? And if not treated, will it pass on its own?
Do not treat conjunctivitis is simply impossible, it is accompanied by symptoms that adversely affect the appearance, mood of a person, and simply prevent him from living! Classical manifestations of allergic conjunctivitis, or "red eye disease", are: "tears hail", "foreign body sensation" in the eyes, burning, itching and photophobia. Often the disease is accompanied by a common cold. With allergic conjunctivitis, both eyes are usually affected.
Can I be treated with home remedies?
Today, most people suffering from this disease know that allergic conjunctivitis can not be cured by home remedies. They have nothing to do with the cause of the disease. Moreover, when using home remedies, there is a risk of infection.
How, then, is it correct to treat conjunctivitis? The first step in the treatment is the detection of the allergen. You need to understand what the person is reacting to: pollen, food, old paper, medicines ... If you can not completely avoid contact with the allergen, then resort to a reception called "active immunization". This means that the body is exposed to small doses of a known allergen. Allergic conjunctivitis should be treated under the supervision of a doctor: only he can correctly prescribe anti-inflammatory and antiallergic drugs in drops and tablets.
Antihistamine eye drops.
The most important thing in the treatment of conjunctivitis is to cope with the main "culprit" of the allergy - histamine. Molecules of this and similar substances in large quantities are thrown into the blood, when, for example, pollen of plants provokes an allergic reaction. The result is vasodilation, irritation of the mucous membrane, secretion of fluid from small vessels, etc. If the development of allergic conjunctivitis has already begun - antihistamines are simply necessary. Eye drops prevent the release of histamine and do not allow it to enter the intercellular space and begin its destructive activity there.
The mechanism of action of such drops is such that it gives the greatest effect precisely in the preventive application. It is advisable to start to drip them 2 drops 4 times a day for a few days before the allergen "activates". For example, birches or poplars have already appeared earrings, but pollen, fluff has not yet flew. If the allergic has turned to the clinic, when the conjunctivitis has already begun, the drug will help to quickly remove the symptoms of the disease, but sometimes the effect can occur only after a day or two.
The composition of eye drops includes a preservative that can be deposited on the surface of soft contact lenses, so drops are not recommended if you wear lenses. After instillation in the eyes, contact lenses can be re-installed no earlier than 15 minutes.
Are there any preventive ways to combat allergic conjunctivitis?
A mistake would be to think that people suffer from allergic conjunctivitis only in the spring. This is only a seasonal exacerbation of a chronic disease, which must be seriously treated. After all, it often happens that the patient resorts to the clinic and wants an immediate recovery when the conjunctivitis has already developed, and his eyes are red. First, you need to minimize the possibility of contact with "uninvited guests" - substances that cause allergies. If "meeting" with them is inevitable, it is necessary to bury in advance special antiallergic agents prescribed by a doctor. We buy food in advance and do not wait until we start starving. Just as responsibly you need to approach both treatment and prevention.