Eye drops with antibiotic | Eye drops

Eye drops with antibiotic

If one suspects a longer lasting illness of the eye due to a bacterial infection, eye drops containing an antibiotic are helpful. An example of a bacterial infection of the eye is conjunctivitis. However, in adulthood a viral cause is more often the reason for conjunctivitis.

Therefore, a doctor should clarify in advance whether it is actually a viral conjunctivitis. In childhood, on the other hand, conjunctivitis is more often caused by the virus than by bacteria. As far as the treatment with antibacterial eye drops is concerned, however, it should be said that the administration of eye drops should initially be restrained.

Current recommendations for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis describe waiting three days from the onset of symptoms before using antibacterial eye drops. In the meantime, tear substitutes, i.e. eye drops for dry eyes, are sufficient for treatment, because in most cases the inflammation heals without the use of the antibiotic. However, if symptoms persist after three days, an ophthalmologist should be consulted, who can then prescribe antibacterial eye drops.

Various antibiotics are used for this purpose, which are applied several times a day or hourly, depending on the severity of the infection. These include aminoglycosides such as tobramycin, gentamycin or azithromycin. For more severe courses, fluoroquinolones such as ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin can also be used.

Eye drops with cortisone

Eye drops with cortisone are also known as “prednisolone eye drops”. Prednisolone is a synthetically produced active substance and is very similar to cortisone. This is why prednisolone eye drops are also colloquially known as cortisone eye drops.

Cortisone has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and immunosuppressive effects and is used in ophthalmology for non-infectious eye inflammation. These include inflammation of the eyelids, cornea or conjunctiva. Non-infectious causes of such inflammations can be allergy-related conjunctivitis (allergic rhinoconjunctivitis or chronic allergic conjunctivitis), autoimmune-related diseases such as ocular pemphigoid or the so-called dry eye syndrome (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), which is caused by a disturbed wetting of the cornea and conjunctiva with tear fluid.

However, treatment with cortisone is not the treatment of choice for the above-mentioned diseases and also has many side effects. The treatment can cause an increase in intraocular pressure or the development of cataracts. It is therefore essential to remain under ophthalmologic care during the treatment. Would you like to learn more about cortisone containing eye drops?

Eye drops with adrenaline

Eye drops with adrenaline are used by the ophthalmologist during examinations of the back of the eye (ophthalmoscopy). The adrenaline causes the pupils in the eye to dilate and the blood vessels to constrict. This enables the ophthalmologist to see and assess the eye and the eye fundus better with a special magnifying glass.

The examination is performed in case of a reduction or sudden loss of vision, flickering of the eyes, seeing lightning, injuries to the eye or previous illnesses such as diabetes mellitus or high blood pressure. In this way, damage or changes to the optic nerve, the retina, the blood vessels of the retina, the point of sharpest vision (macula lutea) or even tumours of the eye can be detected early and subsequently treated. After the examination, it is not allowed to drive for a few hours, as the dilation of the pupils may limit vision.

The effect lasts for about five hours. The drops should not be used during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Do you want to read more about an eye examination?