Allergic conjunctivitis in the era of modern medicine

Abstract:

Allergic conjunctivitis is one of the most common ophthalmological diseases we encounter in daily practice. It is estimated that approximately one third of the world’s population has some form of allergy and up to 40% of these patients have associated ophthalmic symptoms. Nowadays, a wide range of drugs, applied topically or systemically, is available for allergic conjunctivitis. Since mediators of inflammation play a major role in the immunopathogenesis of allergic conjunctivitis, the development of specific immunotherapeutic and pharmacotherapeutic agents can improve the therapeutic index and safety profile of treatment of this disease. Unless early diagnosed and treated, it greatly reduces the quality of life, and chronic changes can lead to impaired vision function. Therefore, good cooperation between physicians of different medical specialties involved in the treatment of patients with allergic conjunctivitis is highly important.

Key words:
allergy; allergic conjunctivitis; ocular surface disease; perennial allergic conjunctivitis; seasonal allergic conjunctivitis