could you suffer from allergic conjunctivitis?»- breaking latest news

My 9 year old son has been squinting for a few weeks and is annoyed by the light. An ophthalmologist told me that it is not a vision problem and that the disturbance is due to allergic conjunctivitis. It’s possible? And what can we do in case?

He answers Paul NucciFull Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Milan (VAI AL FORUM)

Eye blinking, especially this season, isn’t actually a classic symptom that requires a prescription for glasses. He often suggests to us an irritative state of the conjunctiva and cornea
, very common in forms of allergic keratoconjunctivitis. The cornea is one of the most innervated structures of our body and a slight inflammation is enough to cause discomfort. When the child has a form of allergic irritation, blink your eyes frequently to manage itching, especially located on the nasal side. The region under the eyelid appears darker, and sometimes they appear the characteristic infantile “dark circles”.the result of the conjunctival clogging that transpires under the thin skin around the eyes.

The most common forms of allergic conjunctivitis are seasonal, chronic and recurrentcharacterized by periods of exacerbations alternating with remission. May be associated with an increase in tearingredness of the white part of the eye, swelling of the upper eyelids e a characteristic discomfort in the light, especially in the morning. The management of allergic conjunctivitis in children has two basic principles: prevention and drug therapy with eye drops, when necessary. Acting on the environment means keeping the child away from potential allergens, stimulating the use of sunglasses and cleaning up the home to reduce dust mite levels. The drops of surface lubricants they can be used to dilute and remove antigens and inflammatory mediators from the surface of the eye.

However, such remedies cannot counteract the allergic response nor change the degree of inflammation, therefore they are suitable only in mild forms of conjunctivitis. It is also helpful to try to minimize eye rubbing, as the mechanical action exacerbates eye irritationas well as being a further vehicle for contact with new allergens. Pharmacological therapy becomes necessary when, despite environmental prevention, the irritative symptoms continue to undermine the child’s serenity. Therapy involves the use of antihistamine eye drops, membrane stabilizers and surface cortisone. Finally, in the most severe forms, it may be useful to resort to systemic antihistamine or steroid drugsafter a consultation with a pediatric allergist.