What is allergic conjunctivitis?
Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the conjunctiva (the membrane covering the white part of an eye) due to allergy.
Allergic conjunctivitis occurs when the layer of cells lines the eyelids and covering the white part of the eye become swollen or inflamed due to reaction to pollen, dander, mould or other allergy-causing substances.
What are the types of allergic conjunctivitis?
Allergic conjunctivitis is classified into four type:
• Seasonal allergic conjunctivitis and perennial allergic conjunctivitis.
• Vernal keratoconjunctivitis and atopic keratoconjunctivitis.
• Giant papillary conjunctivitis.
• Phlyctenule keratoconjunctivitis.
Who is prone to allergic conjunctivitis?
Allergic conjunctivitis commonly affects young males.
It affects more commonly the people who have a family history of reaction to allergens.
It occurs in those countries where the pollen allergens are more found.
No evidence of individuals from any particular race more affected by allergic conjunctivitis is seen.
What are the causes of allergic conjunctivitis?
Allergic conjunctivitis is caused by the allergic reaction of the body’s immune system towards an allergen.
It is very common in those people who show other types of allergic diseases such as hay fever, asthma, and eczema.
The most common allergens which are responsible for allergic conjunctivitis are listed below:
• Animal skin and secretions such as saliva.
• Perfumes.
• Cosmetics.
• Skin medications.
• Smoke.
• Air pollution.
• Dust mites.
• Eye drops.
• Pollen from trees, grass, and ragweed.
Conjunctivitis occur seasonally are due to pollen and usually occur in hay fever season, due to grass pollens in early summer and various other pollens and moulds lead to allergic conjunctivitis in the later summer season.
Perennial conjunctivitis is due to an allergy to house dust mite.
What are the sign and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis?
• Intense itching or burning eyes.
• Puffy eyelids, especially in the morning time.
• Redness in eyes.
• Stringy eye discharge.
• Tearing or watery eyes.
• Photo-phobia.
• Sensation of a foreign body in the eye.
• Widened vessels in the clear tissue covering the white of an eye.
How to investigate allergic conjunctivitis?
• White blood cell count.
• Eosinophilic cells in the peripheral blood film.
• Physical signs such as small raised bumps on the inside of eyelids.
• Allergy tests, there is found positive skin test for the suspected allergen.
Is allergic conjunctivitis treatable?
First of all, the patient should avoid exposure to allergens which cause allergic conjunctivitis such as dust, mould, pollen.
What are the complications of allergic conjunctivitis?
Very rare infection is prolonged then they can damage to conjunctiva which leads to scaring.
How homeopathy help to treat allergic conjunctivitis?
Homeopathy can help symptomatically in this case. Some of the homeopathic medicines which can help in this. These are:
• Apis mellifica
• Belladonna
• Cantharis vesicatoria
• Euphrasia Officinalis
• Pulsatilla nigricans
