1.What is spring conjunctivitis?
Spring conjunctivitis is a kind of allergic conjunctivitis, mainly characterized by itchy eyes, also known as spring catarrhal conjunctivitis, seasonal conjunctivitis, etc. The incidence is higher in spring and summer than in autumn and winter. It is more common in children or adolescents (3 to 25 years old) and is more common in males than females (3:1 male to female ratio).
2.What causes springtime conjunctivitis?
The cause is still unclear, and it is difficult to find a specific allergen. It is usually thought to be related to pollen sensitivity, and the protein components of various microorganisms, such as animal dander and feathers, may also cause sensitization. Gao Yingying, Ophthalmology Department, The Second Hospital of Fujian Medical University
3.What are the manifestations of spring conjunctivitis and how to diagnose
The main clinical manifestations of this disease are burning and itching of the eyes, as well as other general manifestations of conjunctivitis such as tearing, foreign body sensation and photophobia and tearing, and the phenomenon of “pulling” when the eye discharge is wiped. The disease is divided into three types according to the site of inflammation: 1) lid conjunctiva type: characterized by a pinkish conjunctiva and flattened, paving-stone-like arrangement of giant conjunctival papillae on the upper eyelid, with varying shapes. 2) Keratoconjunctival margin type: a yellowish-brown or smudgy-red gelatinous growth at the edge of the cornea, evident at the upper corneal margin. 3) Mixed type: the lid conjunctiva and the corneal margin appear simultaneously as seen in the above two types. This disease is not difficult to diagnose through careful specialist examination by an ophthalmologist. If spring conjunctivitis occurs in young patients who sometimes fail to accurately tell their parents about the discomfort, parents should promptly bring their children to the doctor if they notice that the children are often rubbing their eyes, tearing, and that the color of their eyes is different from the norm.
4. What eyes are easily confused with spring conjunctivitis?
The disease needs to be distinguished from bacterial conjunctivitis, viral conjunctivitis, etc. These diseases are commonly known as “pink eye”, there is no seasonality, the onset of both eyes is usually sequential, acute onset, often with a history of exposure to red-eye patients, eye symptoms are a large amount of purulent discharge (eye stool), photophobia, tearing, eye itching is mild. The disease should also be distinguished from general allergic conjunctivitis The latter is mostly caused by chemical or physical causes drugs cosmetics and UV stimulation, allergens are clearly identified, often accompanied by eczema changes on the eyelids, lid margins, or general skin, independent of the season, and improves after avoidance of allergens.
5. Does spring conjunctivitis impair vision?
Mild cases of spring conjunctivitis do not cause damage to vision, but moderate to severe cases are often combined with corneal lesions, such as corneal pitting, erosion, and ulceration, which can affect vision and even lead to more serious consequences such as blindness if not treated properly.
6, spring conjunctivitis should be how to treat
Spring conjunctivitis is a self-limiting disease that usually resolves on its own after 5-10 years of illness. Because of the onset of the eye itchy discomfort, seriously affecting daily life, so you must use drugs to control the itchy symptoms, there are a wide variety of drugs on the market, some drugs have damaging effects on eye tissue in the long term, so it is necessary to use drugs under the guidance of a doctor. The most common types of medications are: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops, cell membrane stabilizers, antihistamines, vasoconstrictors, artificial tears, glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants. In particularly severe cases, surgical protection of the cornea is sometimes required by cautery, freezing, lid removal and conjunctival transfer, amniotic membrane transplantation, etc.
7. Health care for patients with spring conjunctivitis
The patient should keep clean, wash his hands often, avoid rubbing his eyes often, use cold compresses when his eyes itch, eat more fresh, vitamin-rich vegetables and fruits, do not wear too much clothing in winter, do not stay in cinemas, dusty and airtight spaces, avoid watching computers for a long time, play computer games, strengthen physical exercise, enhance physical fitness.
8. Common misconceptions about conjunctivitis in spring
(1) “There are special drugs for spring conjunctivitis”: There are no special drugs for spring conjunctivitis. In theory, allergen-specific desensitizing agents can be used to desensitize, but there is no ideal standardized desensitizing agent. The most definitive treatment at this time is symptomatic treatment to reduce symptoms and wait for the patient to naturally resolve over several years. Do not believe in false advertising that there are effective drugs for the treatment of spring conjunctivitis.
(2) “Hormonal eye medication has many side effects and should never be used”: Some parents of children with conjunctivitis refuse to use eye drops once they hear that they have hormones. In fact, hormones have a good efficacy and effect on more serious spring conjunctivitis that cannot be replaced by other drugs. For acute red, itchy eyes, topical hormones are often needed to control the inflammatory response and then, after the condition has stabilized, to continue treatment with milder antihistamine drops or other types of eye drops. Under the guidance of a doctor, close monitoring of changes in intraocular pressure and visual acuity, and short-term use of hormones is the best way to quickly relieve symptoms.
(3) “Spring conjunctivitis is a chronic disease, just buy your own eye drops”: The treatment of spring conjunctivitis is different at different times of the disease. Clinically, for the more severe stages of inflammation, short-term topical therapy is used to quickly relieve symptoms and interrupt the inflammatory cycle; the remission phase of inflammation should be treated by enhancing physical fitness and improving immune status. These need to be chosen by the doctor according to the condition of the eye. Topical long-term use of the same eye medication is not advisable. In particular, long-term use of hormonal drops can even cause an increase in eye pressure, leading to irreversible damage such as glaucoma, cataracts, and optic nerve atrophy. Therefore patients should be treated under the guidance of a doctor.
9, spring conjunctivitis patient treatment effect is poor
A small number of patients with spring conjunctivitis are seriously ill, and after a series of conventional medications (antihistamines, vasoconstrictors, hormones, etc.) still have strong photophobia and itchy eyes so dramatic that they cannot live normally, they can use immunosuppressive eye 2% cyclomycin eye drops, or 0.05% FK-506 eye drops, which can sometimes have a therapeutic effect, or they can consider moving to the north, or Europe and the United States cold, less polluted The area of life.