Services for Children

allergic conjunctivitis

What to do for allergic conjunctivitis

There are several ways to attack the problem. 

A. First, and best, is to stop exposing the patient to the allergen – this is possible if the cause is a new pet ?, a new laundry detergent, or a new carpet, but it is next to impossible if the patient is allergic to ubiquitous environmental such allergens dust or pollen (in which case desensitization treatment may be indicated). 

B. Simultaneously, treat the conjunctivitis itself. Over the past decade or so a very useful class of antihistamine eyedrops has come to market – these medications are very safe and usually very effective (Zaditor, Patanol, Alamast, Optivar, Livostin).  These medications require 1 to 2 weeks for their full benefit to kick in, but there is almost always some immediate improvement when they are used.   Sometimes, one of these medicines won’t work but a different one in the same category will.  When antihistamines are not doing the job, or if the allergic reaction is severe and needs to be quieted down more rapidly, steroid eyedrops are used.  While short-term use of steroid eyedrops is safe, there are definite risks from using them improperly – you should never use any steroid unless it is under the supervision of a physician.  When steroids fail (which is very rare, there are other forms of anti-inflammatory eyedrops that can be used; some of these are actually weak formulations of chemotherapy drugs.

C. Finally, desensitization should be considered.  If your child suffers from allergies on a regular basis, or suffers very severely during certain allergy seasons, then you might consider asking your pediatrician for a referral to an allergist.  Allergists can determine what the patient is allergic to and then expose them to small amounts of the allergen until they become desensitized to it.  Usually, this involves injecting the allergen under the skin in gradually increasing concentrations.