Conjunctivitis in adults

Inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye – the membrane that covers the eyelids and the eyeball, is often considered a harmless, but unpleasant disease. And often this careless handling leads to serious problems.

What is conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is an inflammatory process in the area of ​​the conjunctiva – the mucous membrane that covers the eye and the inner part of the eyelid and protects them from external influences.

Conjunctivitis of various origins accounts for up to 30% of all visits to an ophthalmologist. Although conjunctivitis is considered a non-serious disease, they can lead to the development of blepharitis and keratitis, provoke dry eye syndrome, scars on the eyelids and cornea, decreased vision, eversion of the eyelid.

What you need to know about conjunctivitis

Causes of conjunctivitis in adults

Inflammation of the conjunctiva can be of external and internal origin. In the internal process, conjunctivitis occurs as one of the symptoms of various infections – chicken pox, tuberculosis, measles, hemorrhagic fevers. In this case, treatment of the underlying disease is required.

External conjunctivitis is a lesion and inflammation due to the effect directly on the mucous membranes. This is an independent disease that can be acute or chronic, and in form – catarrhal, fibrinous, purulent or follicular.

Causes of inflammation of the conjunctiva:

• bacterial (pneumococcus, staphylococcus, diplobacilli, gonococcus);
• chlamydial infection;
• viral (herpes, adenovirus, influenza);
• fungal (candidiasis, actinomycosis, rhinosporidiosis, etc.);
• allergies (hay fever, year-round allergies, contact allergies);
• autoimmune pathologies;
• demodicosis;
• eye injuries (mechanical, chemical, thermal).

The tendency to conjunctivitis increases with a decrease in immunity, vitamin deficiency, constant eye irritation, high visual load, and systemic diseases.

Symptoms of conjunctivitis in adults

The manifestations of conjunctivitis depend on the cause and severity of the mucosal lesion. But for all forms of the disease there are a number of common signs. These include:

• swelling and redness of the eyelids;
• mucous or purulent discharge from the eyes;
• burning, itching, feeling of sand, a foreign object in the eyes;
• lacrimation, especially in bright light, wind, temperature changes;
• photophobia;
• spasm of the eyelids;
• the formation of crusts on the eyelashes, sticking together of the eyelids in the morning due to the discharge of a secret;
• decreased visual acuity, blurred picture.

With bacterial infections, one eye initially suffers, later the second one joins. With viral and allergic inflammation, both eyes are affected at once.

In acute conjunctivitis, the first signs will be pain in the eyes, cramps, a feeling of sand, redness of the albuginea, and small hemorrhages. The secret is at first slimy or watery, then may thicken. Typically, general malaise, fever, headache. On average, acute events last up to 3-4 days, but can last up to 1-2 weeks.

Treatment of conjunctivitis in adults

Without treatment, conjunctivitis can be complicated by the transition of inflammation to the cornea, chronicity of the process, scarring, eversion of the eyelid and decreased vision. Therefore, it is important not to ignore the symptoms, but to contact an ophthalmologist and undergo treatment under his supervision. Since the causes of inflammation are very diverse, it is not recommended to treat conjunctivitis at home.

Diagnostics

A doctor may suspect conjunctivitis based on typical complaints and external signs. But it is important to determine the cause of inflammation and assess the severity of the condition, the severity of the process. In addition to the analysis of complaints and communication with external factors, contact with patients with similar symptoms, laboratory and instrumental tests are important:

• scrapings or smears-imprints with their cytological examination;
• bacterioscopy of a smear from the conjunctiva;
• determination of antibodies to infection in lacrimal fluid or blood plasma;
• research on demodicosis;
• allergy tests – skin, nasal or conjunctival.

The doctor also performs biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, istillation tests with fluorescent dyes.

Modern treatments

“Treatment of conjunctivitis begins with finding out the cause,” says ophthalmologist Oksana Levkina. – A scraping is taken from the conjunctival cavity, culture is done and then it is examined in the laboratory. The data obtained help to adjust the treatment and achieve a quick and complete recovery.

Currently, there are a number of broad-spectrum antibiotics, which, when used locally in the form of eye drops and ointments, can cure conjunctivitis caused by even the most “aggressive” bacteria, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, gonococcus, pneumococcus.

Antiviral, non-specific anti-inflammatory drugs, drops with anti-allergic action are also widely used. They help to cure conjunctivitis at home if the symptoms suggest the allergic nature of the disease, especially if conjunctivitis is combined with a runny nose, cough, difficulty breathing, is associated, for example, with a certain season of the year, contact with various allergens.

Prevention of conjunctivitis in adults at home

The main methods of prevention of conjunctivitis is the observance of hygiene rules. Do not touch your eyes with dirty hands; if foreign objects get in, rinse your eyes with running water, after washing your hands thoroughly.

It is also important to avoid contact with people who have signs of infectious diseases with conjunctivitis – you need to wear a mask, wash your hands often.

Popular questions and answers

We spoke with ophthalmologist Oksana Levkina about the possibility of self-treatment of conjunctivitis, its complications and alarming symptoms that require a visit to a doctor.