Keratoconjunctivitis

Keratoconjunctivitis General Information

Keratoconjunctivitis is an inflammatory medical condition (for this reason the disease name presents the suffix “itis”) that affects the patient’s conjunctiva and cornea. If the individual only presents inflammation of the conjunctiva, then he is suffering from conjunctivitis; if they present corneal inflammation, they are suffering from keratitis. There are a couple of potential causes of this inflammatory medical condition. The vernal form of this medical disorder (often abbreviated as VKC) defines the inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva that occurs in spring (and is thought to be caused by allergens). If the cause of this inflammatory medical condition is an adenovirus infection, the patient will experience the epidemic form of this disorder.

IBK (abbreviation that defines the infectious bovine form of this inflammatory eye disorder) is known to affect cattle that have been exposed to the bacterium Moraxella Bovis. If the disorder has developed due to abnormal eye dryness, the disorder is generally known as “Keratoconjunctivitis sicca” (as medical contexts translate “sicca” as “dryness”). The superior limbic form of this medical disorder is probably due to mechanical trauma of the eye. Another form of this inflammatory medical condition is widely known as arc eye; in this case the inflammation is caused by UV light (if the patient did not wear protective eye glasses while welding, for example). In the case of this clinical condition, the symptoms of this inflammatory disorder generally appear a few hours after the exposure; with an adequate treatment, the symptoms will disappear in a couple of days. To avoid experiencing the photoelectric form of this inflammatory disorder, one should use proper eye protection 24 hours per day. If you want to know more about this type of eye inflammatory disease, you should seek further help at a professional.

Keratoconjunctivitis Symptoms

The average clinical manifestations that are triggered by the presence of this eye inflammatory medical condition (Keratoconjunctivitis) include eye burning, eye dryness, irritated eye that worsens throughout the day. Among the other symptoms of this medical condition, the most common are: pulling sensation, redness, pain, pressure behind the eye, and so on. Some individuals reported that they had experienced the feeling of a speck of dirt in the eye(s) – this leads to excessive tearing. These tears are known in the medical area as “reflex tears”. However, this symptom does not make the patient’s eyes feel any better.  Because of the damage that affects the eye’s surface, the patient will also present increased sensitivity to bright light and eye discomfort of any kind. In most cases, Keratoconjunctivitis affects both of the individual’s eyes.

Other potential symptoms that occur in the case of this inflammatory eye medical condition include a stringy, abnormal discharge from the individual’s eyes. If the disorder was due to eye dryness, the patient may also experience watery eyes. During this medical condition, a fast blinking rate is very important, as through blinking the patient’s eyes are coated with tears. For this reason, prolonged driving, computer usage, reading, television watching, and so on, are not recommended. Studies have shown that most of the symptoms that are triggered by the presence of Keratoconjunctivitis increase in smoky, dusty and windy areas, in high altitudes, dry environments, and so on. However, the clinical manifestations of this medical condition are known to generally reduce in foggy, rainy or cool weather and in humid locations (like the shower). If this medical condition is not adequately treated, it will lead to complications, causing irreversible damage. This results are impairment of vision, vision loss, and so on.

Keratoconjunctivitis Treatment

The therapy against this inflammatory eye medical condition includes varied therapy options. The most common of them include: avoiding factors that cause or worsen the disease and its symptoms, tear supplementation and / or stimulation, increasing retention of tears, therapy for the eye inflammation, eyelid cleansing, and so on. There are a couple of basic steps that a patient ought to take in order to effectively minimize the discomfort that is caused by this medical disorder (Keratoconjunctivitis). Resting tired eyes, purposefully blinking while reading, driving, computer use, and so on ought to be carefully considered by the patient. It is important for the individual to avoid rubbing their eyes in order to prevent any further irritation.

As clinical cases in which the presence of this inflammatory eye condition is adjacent to that of another disorder (blephartitis) are quite common, all patients should pay special attention to cleaning their eyelids every night and morning, using warm compresses and mild shampoos. This is known to improve the symptoms of both eye disorders. Patients who are suffering from Keratoconjunctivitis ought to avoid drafty, dusty or dry environments. For this reason, the use of hair dryers is not recommended. During winter, most individuals are recommended to use a humidifier (a special gadget that moisturizes the indoor air). For moderate and mild cases of this eye inflammatory disease, the most important part of the therapy is supplemental lubrication. Most patients experienced temporary relief from the use of artificial tears. They ought to be applied every couple of hours.

The use of lubricating tear ointments (that serve as effective emollients and lubricants) is effective against Keratoconjunctivitis; it should occur before bedtime, as it is a known fact that most medical products of this kind lead to poor vision after application. Ask your personal health care provider how to adequately apply your doses of these products. You may find a set of helpful information on the medicine’s leaflet. Patients with Keratoconjunctivitis are recommended to consume dark fleshed fish, as this type of meat is known to contain omega-3 fatty acids. This substance is widely associated with a decreased incidence of eye dryness in the case of female patients.

The medication therapy against this type of inflammatory medical condition is quite effective in easing the individual’s symptoms (like inflammation, discomfort, and so on). The use of mild topical steroids is recommended in such cases. However, the intake of Cyclosporine or any other immuno-suppressants is also effective against cases of Keratoconjunctivitis. The use of Prednisolone can lead to a decreased level of tear NGF. For further information regarding this type of therapy we advise you to seek the professional help of your ophthalmologist.