Introduction
Conjunctivitis (also known as conjunctivitis) can have various triggers, which also determine the respective therapy. For example, if it is caused by bacteria, eye drops with antibiotics can help. If, on the other hand, an allergy is the cause of the symptoms, eye drops with so-called antihistamines should be used.
These substances can help to alleviate the allergic reaction and thus lead to an alleviation of the symptoms of conjunctivitis. It is also important to note that conjunctivitis can be contagious under certain circumstances. Those affected should therefore pay more attention to hygiene and keep utensils such as towels or washcloths separately.
If an allergic reaction is involved, the substance that causes it (the allergen) should be avoided if possible. If your child suffers from conjunctivitis, depending on the substances contained in the eye drops, they may be available without a prescription from a pharmacy or a prescription may be required for purchase. In general, it can be said that eye drops with an anti-inflammatory effect or for moisturising are often available without a prescription.
Examples would be eye drops with the active ingredients cromoglycic acid, tetryzolin, azelastine, lodoxamide and levocabastine for allergic reactions in the eye. Eye drops containing the active ingredients hydroxyethyl cellulose, hypromellose, povidone and carbomer are used to moisten or replace tear fluid. Euphrasia eye drops have an anti-inflammatory and moisturizing effect.
As they are purely herbal, they are well tolerated. However, prescription-only eye drops containing an antibiotic or eye drops that intervene more strongly in the immune system and thus have an anti-inflammatory effect are available only on prescription. Examples of substances that help with bacterial infections are doxycycline, ofloxacin, kanamycin and gentamicin.
Eye drops containing the active ingredients dexamethasone, prednisolone and, in the case of particularly severe courses of the disease, ciclospoprine A are used to inhibit inflammation. However, it is important to use eye drops of the correct type. It is important to ensure that the drops actually reach the site of action and are distributed evenly over the eye.
This can usually be achieved with a simple eyelid closure. In addition, you should never touch the eye with the tip of the dropper bottle in order to avoid bringing other germs into the eye or causing additional mechanical irritation. It is therefore advisable to apply the drops from a certain distance, for example a few centimetres. And last but not least, when using the eye drops, you should make sure that you use them as described on the package insert and, if necessary, not exceed any time restrictions on use.
What to do if the eye drops don’t work?
When treating conjunctivitis with eye drops, it is important to know the cause of the inflammation in advance. For example, if the infection is caused by a virus, eye drops with antibiotics cannot help. And an allergic reaction must also be treated differently from a mechanical irritation.
It is therefore important to have such an inflammation clarified by an ophthalmologist before starting treatment. Well-tried household remedies such as camomile tea or quark toppings should also be used with caution, as on the one hand they can of course relieve the symptoms acutely, but on the other hand they can under certain circumstances lead to an additional germ load or even to allergic reactions. However, there are also herbal remedies which, when used correctly, have a beneficial effect on the course of the disease in cases of eye complaints. These are also available as ready-to-use, purely herbal eye drops and should be preferred to your own prepared household remedy under certain circumstances in the case of an eye that is already heavily contaminated. Three herbal remedies that help well with eye complaints are eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) and celandine (Chelidonium majus), both of which are effective against inflammation, and garden rue (Ruta graveolens) for moisturising dry eyes.