Most patients with acute conjunctivitis are being treated incorrectly, as many doctors give them antibiotics when they are rarely needed, according to a new study.
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the eye's eye (conjunctiva), which is manifested by blushing of the eyes and, depending on its cause, with additional symptoms such as burning , tingling , foreign body sensation in the eye , purulent exudates , increased tear production , itching (itching), edema (swelling) of the eyelids , transient blurred vision that "clears" when we open eyes or sometimes pain .
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAC), there are three main types of conjunctivitis : viral , bacterial and allergic . Antibiotics are rarely necessary for acute conjunctivitis because it is usually caused by viruses or allergies that do not respond to antibiotics .
However, antibiotics are not always necessary even in the case of bacterial conjunctivitis , because most of the cases are mild and recede on their own in 7-14 days without treatment.
However, most patients take antibiotics when they have conjunctivitis, according to new research published in the scientific journal Ophthalmology published by AAO.
"This study looked at analytical data from nearly 300,000 patients in the US who had been diagnosed with acute conjunctivitis," explains surgeon-ophthalmologist Dr Anastasios-I. Dr. Canellopoulos, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of New York, NYU Medical School, and President of the International Society of Refractive Surgery (ISRS) under the AAO. " 58% of them had a prescription for antibiotics, and 20% had a prescription for antibiotic combination with a steroid, ie cortisone . This combination, however, is totally inappropriate for most patients with acute conjunctivitis, becausemay prolong or exacerbate certain types of viral infections , which are the most common cause of it. "
The study also showed that eight out of ten patients did not go to ophthalmologists for their symptoms but mainly primary care physicians , and that the use of antibiotic colliers was more dependent on the socio-economic status of patients than on the odds had a more severe infection in the eyes (because, for example, they were users of contact lenses or had a weakened immune system).
"The distinction of bacterial conjunctivitis from viral and allergic is not simple, because the three types have common characteristics , such as redness of the eyes, increased production of tears or excretions, irritation and sensitivity to light," says Dr. Canellopoulos. "Many doctors therefore tend to give antibiotics" for everything ", while many patients are unaware of the effects of antibiotic abuse and mistakenly believe that" antibiotics "are indispensable for any symptom due to an infection. This has the consequence that antibiotics are often given antibiotics to self-medicate their conjunctivitis. "
What you need to know
Antibiotics can not fight against viruses or allergies (eg from pollen, house dust mites, contact lenses, cosmetics, animal hair, etc.), and thus antibiotics are mistakenly taken in case of viral or allergic conjunctivitis provide no benefit to patients .
The worst, however, is that the abuse of antibiotic eye colliers can create additional problems (eg itching, tingling, burning sensation, swelling) as well as intensifying the reddening of the eyes and the production of exudates from them.
In which cases is it advisable to use antibiotic collyres? "Usually when the patient has severe symptoms , his / her immune system is weakened and / or when the infection has not subsided at all after one week without treatment, " says Dr. Kanellopoulos.
To protect yourself from the unnecessary use of antibiotic colliers, it is advisable to know the most common symptoms of the three types of conjunctivitis (except eye blush, observed in all). Which is:
- Viral conjunctivitis : Usually accompanied by upper respiratory infection (sore throat, sore throat) and its characteristic is intense tearing and pruritus. It usually starts from one eye, but because it is very contagious it can easily spread to the other.
- Allergic conjunctivitis : Its features are itching in the eyes, swollen eyelids and sinus or itching in the nose. It is more common in people who have other allergies, such as allergic rhinitis or asthma.
- Bacterial conjunctivitis : Potential symptoms include a thick, often yellowish-green discharge from eyes that lasts all day. It is usually not accompanied by symptoms of upper respiratory junction. Typically it starts from one eye, but within 2-5 days it has spread to the other.
No comments:
Post a Comment