What to do for allergic
conjunctivitis?
There are several ways
to attack the problem.
1.
First, and best, is to stop exposing the patient to the allergen – this is possible
if the cause is a new pet , a new
laundry detergent, or a new carpet, but it is next to impossible if the patient
is allergic to ubiquitous environmental such allergens dust or pollen (in which
case desensitization treatment may be indicated).
2.
Simultaneously, treat the conjunctivitis itself. Over the past decade or so a very
useful class of antihistamine eyedrops has come to market – these medications
are very safe and usually very effective (Zaditor, Patanol, Alamast, Optivar, Livostin). These medications require
1 to 2 weeks for their full benefit to kick in, but there is almost
always some immediate improvement when they are used.
Sometimes, one of these medicines won’t work but a different one
in the same category will.
When antihistamines are
not doing the job, or if the allergic reaction is severe and needs to be quieted
down more rapidly, steroid eyedrops are used.
While short-term use of steroid eyedrops is safe, there are definite risks
from using them improperly – you should never use
any steroid unless it is under the supervision of a physician.
When steroids fail (which is very rare, there are other forms of anti-inflammatory
eyedrops that can be used; some of these are actually weak formulations of chemotherapy
drugs.
3.
Finally, desensitization should be considered.
If your child suffers from allergies on a regular basis, or suffers very
severely during certain allergy seasons, then you might consider asking your pediatrician
for a referral to an allergist. Allergists
can determine what the patient is allergic to and then expose them to small amounts
of the allergen until they become desensitized to it.
Usually, this involves injecting the allergen under the skin in gradually
increasing concentrations.
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