Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis

Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis General Information

Having a disorder of the eye may be challenging for every patient. In this first chapter we will present you some of the main aspects regarding Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis. This type of ocular illness is not threatening the sight of the patient, although it is very uncomfortable and produces severe irritation. Usually only ocular allergies that involve the cornea can produce blinding (atopic keratoconjunctivitis or regular keratoconjunctivitis). It is important for every patient to be familiarized with the medical condition he/she is suffering from. The majority of ocular infections affect the mucus membrane of the eyes, called conjunctiva. Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis is more commonly known as acute allergic conjunctivitis, affecting only 20-25%of the world wide population. More than 90% of all ocular allergies are caused by this type of medical condition, making it one of the most frequent ocular disorders of this kind. It usually occurs as a symptom in patients who suffer from hay fever. This is why Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis is considered by specialists the ocular manifestation of allergic rhinitis or also known as hay fever.

As the name of the disease suggests, the condition is linked to certain pollens that spore during particular seasons of the year. This medical condition appears seasonally, during spring (especially in May and June), due to permanent exposure to pollen from trees, grasses and weeds. It also develops in August in September when ragweed pollen produces the allergy. The best treatment options are based on topical decongestants, topical antihistamine and mast cells stabilizers.

Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis Symptoms

Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis is a type of ocular allergy that occurs only in certain seasons of the year and affects the conjunctiva, a transparent mucus membrane covering the eye. This medical condition of the globular eyes is more common among people who already suffer from hay fever, or more commonly known as allergic rhinitis, being even considered a symptom of this disorder. The exposure to different types of pollen provokes intense itching, mucus or watery discharge, redness and burning sensations. Sometimes, the eyelid may swell.

The symptoms caused by diseases as hay fever or other seasonal allergies involve the throat and the nose. During the summer, Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis is caused by the exposure to different types of tree pollen and grass. In the fall, the ocular disorder appears because of the exposure to weed pollen. All these signs and symptoms appear suddenly, within few minutes after the exposure. You must remember that although you present one or more of these symptoms, you may not suffer from this type of medical condition. To be sure, contact your health care provider and establish a date for the medical examination.

Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis Treatment

It is very important for a patient to know what to do and what to avoid when he/she is suffering from a disease of such kind. If you start experiencing any of the signs and symptoms that we have listed above that may indicate you have Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis, we strongly advise you to visit your health care provider. Before taking any medicines, the doctor must rule out other possible conditions, similar to this one. Before all these modern methods of treatment were discovered, this type of ocular allergy was treated with eye wash. Although this would not cure the disease, at least the removal of the allergy causing material from the eye helped relieving the symptoms for a short period of time. Nowadays, many treatment options can be used, depending on the patient’s necessity and stage of the disease. Reliving the symptoms of Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis can be done in many ways. Some of the most popular therapies include the following: antihistamines, decongestants, lubricants, combinations of antihistamine or decongestant, steroids and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents). This list that we offer you may not be complete. If you need more information about the treatment options for Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis we recommend you to consult with an ophthalmologist.

The choice of therapy depends alot on the intensity of your allergy and because histamines are associated with these types of allergy, histamine blockers and antihistamine are the first choice when dealing with have Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis. A very common used drug is Olopatadine (prescribed as Patanol). This is an antihistamine that lowers the natural chemical levels of histamine in a patient’s body. Patients and especially doctors should be very careful when administrating this drug. If the patient is allergic to any of the ingredients of this medicine, more severe complications can appear, delaying the process of healing. If you are not aware what substances may cause you allergy, we strongly advise you to do an allergy test before taking any type of medicine. Patanol should not be administrated to pregnant women because there could appear birth defects. If the woman is breast feeding, she must avoid the medicine because it passes very easily into the breast milk, harming the baby. The drug must not be used in children who are under 3 years old without medical advice.

Patanol must not be used if the patient wears contact leans because the preservative contained by the medicine may be absorbed by the lenses. Also, if you observe worsening of your medical condition (for example excessive pain, decreased vision, thick discharge etc), you should contact a specialist in eye problems. The allergy symptoms of Seasonal Allergic Conjunctivitis can be reduced with the help of a desensitization process or allergy shots. Several oral and topical medications are available at all pharmacies, drugstores and local pharmacies. Health care providers prescribe various medicines only for particular severe cases. For example, if the patient is also suffering from allergic rhinitis (hay fever), he/she may need more careful medical attendance.