What’s wrong with red, itchy eyes?

Red, swollen and itchy eyes are most commonly associated with allergic conjunctivitis, one of the most common disorders of ophthalmology. Allergy is a physical condition, commonly known as atopy, with a clear genetic predisposition. Therefore, the prevention of allergy should start from the mother’s womb. Maternal supplementation of lipids, antioxidants and vitamin A in the second trimester of pregnancy is of special value for the development of specific immunity in the pediatric population; mothers should quit smoking and avoid allergens as much as possible. Avoid mental stress and mood swings, and avoid external factors such as hot and cold stimuli. Finding the allergens and avoiding contact with them is the hard way. For treatment, firstly getting rid of the allergens is an effective treatment for eye allergy. You should try to avoid contact with possible allergens. For example, remove rags and blankets from the room, pay attention to bed hygiene, use insecticides to eliminate insect concealment in the room, avoid contact with pollen, grass and tree flowers during the pollen-spreading season, and stop wearing or replacing contact lenses and care solutions. As part of the systemic allergic diseases, the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis requires the combined treatment of allergic rhinitis, dermatitis and asthma, which not only relieves the local symptoms, but also provides a great degree of relief for the systemic discomfort. In terms of drug selection, antihistamines are usually used topically and can be used orally with extraocular symptoms, although they are not as effective as topical medications. Combinations of antihistamines and vasoconstrictors often result in better therapeutic outcomes. Mast cell stabilizers are not as effective as antihistamines for overall treatment, but they appear to be more effective in suppressing tearing and are best used before exposure to allergens. Non-dantam anti-inflammatory drugs can be used in both the acute and intermittent phases of an allergic attack and are therapeutically effective in relieving ocular signs and symptoms such as ocular itching, conjunctival congestion, and tearing, and it can also reduce the dose of hormones used. Common medications used topically include epinephrine, which can improve ocular discomfort and reduce ocular surface congestion. When severe allergic conjunctivitis is ineffective with other medications, glucocorticoids should be considered. However, they should not be used for too long to avoid complications such as cataracts, glaucoma, mono-cystic viral infections, fungal infections and delayed corneal epithelial healing. Ocular allergic disease is an acute or chronic recurrent disease, and complete eradication is very difficult. Treatment also needs to integrate systemic factors, pay attention to the combination of work and rest, enhance physical fitness, during the period of illness should be actively treated at the same time allergic rhinitis, pharyngitis and so on. For some patients cause greater psychological pressure, especially some children with seasonal conjunctivitis, there may be a certain psychological barrier, should be psychological counseling treatment.