eye disorders
Overview of Conjunctivitis
Treatment of Conjunctivitis
Prevention of spread Treatment of symptoms Antibiotics if cause is bacterial Topical antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers if cause is allergic Cliniciansmust take the following steps to avoid transmitting conjunctivitis, which is most often highly contagious and spread by droplets, fomites, and hand-to-eye inoculation: Use hand sanitizer or wash their hands properly (fully lather hands, scrub hands for at least 20 seconds, rinse well, and turn off the water using a paper towel) Disinfect equipment after examining patients Patientsshould do the following: Use hand sanitizer and/or wash their hands thoroughly after touching their eyes or nasal secretions Avoid touching the noninfected eye after touching the infected eye Avoid sharing towels or pillows Avoid swimming in pools Eyes should be kept free of discharge and should not be patched. Small children with conjunctivitis should be kept home from school to avoid spreading the infection. Cool washcloths applied to the eyes may help relieve local burning and itching. Antimicrobials are used for certain infections. Acute Bacterial Conjunctivitis is typically treated with antibiotics (topical for causes except gonococcal and chlamydial). Gonococcal conjunctivitis and Viral conjunctivitis is typically self-limited, but severe cases sometimes require topical corticosteroids. Allergic conjunctivitis is treated with topical antihistamines, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, mast cell stabilizers, or a combination. Topical corticosteroids orcyclosporineare used for recalcitrant cases. Oral antihistamines may be helpful for patients with other allergic symptoms (eg, rhinorrhea). 