Requests for eye products are a common occurrence in Russian pharmacies. Despite the fact that most drugs used in ophthalmology are dispensed by prescription, in some cases, the pervostolnik can help the buyer in choosing a drug. Some OTC drugs are particularly used for conjunctival infections. What remedies can be recommended in this case and what should visitors with prescriptions for drugs in this group pay attention to? We will answer these questions in our review of ophthalmic drops.
Bacterial type of conjunctivitis
Bacterial conjunctivitis most often occurs in childhood. This is due to the fact that babies are not able to fully control their movements, so they do not always rub their eyes and eyelids with their hands. As a result, bacteria enter the eye mucosa by contact, which, when multiplied, lead to the development of the disease. For bacterial conjunctivitis, it is very important to be careful when choosing eye drops, since cheap drugs, for example, Albucid, can lead to unwanted side effects associated with its high aggressiveness. For a bacterial eye infection, it is much better to use drops called Tobrex, which contains a broad-spectrum antibiotic. This drug not only has a lot of good patient reviews, it is also recommended by ophthalmologists for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis, including in childhood.
Drops for pregnant women
Aktipol eye drops
A special medical composition that belongs to the group of drugs that are used to combat eye and ear diseases of inflammatory and infectious types. The drops are a transparent liquid that has no foreign odor or color. Aminobenzoic acid is used as the main active agent - this agent is widely used in the field of ophthalmology. The substance has a very wide spectrum of action. In particular, the composition is distinguished by local anesthesia - it quickly numbs the eyes. Corneal tissue begins to regenerate much faster. Such drops are capable of fighting a variety of types of viruses, and they also increase local immunity.
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It is not at all necessary to bury them in case of illness; they also act as a prophylactic agent. Such drops are used if discomfort or redness of the eyes occurs if a person wears contact lenses. The product easily copes with viral conjunctivitis. If follicles form on the mucous membrane. The composition also fights well against pain, discharge and drying out of the mucous membrane. Drops cope well with ophthalmological diseases, the course of which is accompanied by inflammatory processes. The only contraindication to the use of this composition is individual intolerance to individual components.
Advantages:
- Harmless substance;
- Reliably protects against viruses and inflammation;
- Thoroughly heals even serious wounds;
- With the help of drops you can develop local immunity.
Flaws:
- The shelf life of the opened package is not too long;
- Individual intolerance to individual constituent elements occurs.
Aktipol eye drops
Oftalmoferon
It is used in medical practice to cope with eye diseases of various nature, both viral and allergic. The product is characterized by active antiviral and antibacterial effects. The composition contains interferon, which stimulates the production of local immunity. This medicine has a local anesthetic effect. Due to this, the burning sensation is relieved within half an hour, the same thing happens with the redness of the mucous membrane. Drops can be used as a therapeutic or prophylactic composition. They allow you to prevent the occurrence of viral conjunctivitis, as well as get rid of it if a person suffers from allergic reactions.
The solution is a colorless and completely transparent liquid in which no sediment or foreign inclusions are observed. It comes in small polymer bottles, the volume of which is 5 or 10 ml, the lid is made in the form of a dropper dispenser for ease of use. The active agent is recombinant interferon, a protein that the human body can produce independently. Diphenhydramine hydrochloride can also help cope with diseases. This remedy can combat eye diseases not only for pregnant women, but also for nursing mothers and children over the age of one year. The drug is prescribed exclusively by the attending physician, although the composition is sold without a prescription. Instill 4-6 times a day, two drops into each eye. When positive dynamics are noticeable, the number of instillations is reduced to 2-3 per day. The duration of treatment can reach one and a half months.
Advantages:
- It can even be used with other medications that enhance the effects of the drug;
- Allowed for use by pregnant, lactating women and small children;
- Allows you to cope well with redness and inflammatory processes.
Flaws:
- Quite expensive;
- Short shelf life after opening the package.
Oftalmoferon
Taufon
Effectively copes with many inflammatory eye diseases. They can be used both before and after surgery. With the help of this remedy you can prevent infection, as well as quickly get rid of pain after surgery. The product is either completely transparent or has a slight yellowish tint. The drops do not contain any foreign matter, flakes, etc. Diclofenac sodium is used as the main active agent here. The composition also contains polyethoxylated castor oil, trometamol, purified water, benzalkonium chloride, mannitol and some other agents. The drops have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.
The active substances bind cyclooxygenase, after which the development of pathogenic and viral microorganisms slows down. After just a couple of days of regular use, swelling decreases, vision improves, and the blurred vision goes away. The substance is most active in the first half hour after instillation. The substance does not enter the bloodstream and, accordingly, has no effect on internal organs. Drops can be used as a prophylactic if a person suffers from increased photosensitivity.
Advantages:
- Reasonable cost;
- Quickly and reliably copes with pain and swelling;
- Bacteria do not become accustomed to this product;
- Quite a long lasting positive effect.
Flaws:
- Immediately after instillation, a slight burning sensation may be felt.
Taufon
List of essential medications
In addition to information about which drops can eliminate the signs of conjunctivitis and help cope with eye fatigue, several other remedies that require a more detailed discussion should be indicated:
- Gludantan is a powder that must be dissolved before use.
- Poludan is a remedy to combat the symptoms of conjunctivitis. The package does not include a dropper, so you need to buy an additional pipette.
- Oftadet is used not only in cases of acute conjunctivitis, but also for gonorrheal lesions in children.
- Sofradex is an ointment that eliminates inflammation and can be used for a large number of ophthalmic problems.
- Florexan is used mainly for mild conjunctivitis. In addition, this solution is excellent for disinfecting contact lenses.
- Vigamox is a very effective drug that is prescribed to treat corneal ulcers. It is mainly suitable for elderly patients.
- Indocollyr is often prescribed for infectious diseases, including in the postoperative period.
- Rohto normalizes not only the eyes, but the entire body. This medicine is not used for treatment, but for the prevention of inflammatory processes.
You should also note medications that contain cortisone or chloramphenicol. When using such drops, pain and burning in the eyes may occur during instillation.
All of the drugs listed are quite effective, but only an experienced doctor can choose the one that is needed in a particular situation. In an emergency situation, that is, when it is not possible to visit a doctor in the near future, and conjunctivitis progresses, one of the medications can be used. In the future, at the first opportunity, you still need to consult a doctor to clarify the correct choice of drug. In addition, different drugs are used for adult patients and for children, so you need to be careful not to harm the child. For example, drugs for adults are usually more aggressive and cause pain and lacrimation; they are contraindicated for children. Sometimes the doctor prescribes a course of antibiotics to treat purulent conjunctivitis, but all this is individual and determined by the type of disease.
Medicines for chronic conjunctivitis
Chronic conjunctivitis, as a rule, means irritation and inflammation of the conjunctiva caused by prolonged exposure to harmful physical or chemical factors, or active foci of chronic infection in other organs.
Against the background of long-existing inflammation, the composition of the tear film and the amount of tears changes, and dry eye syndrome (DES) develops, which over time can develop into a severe form - corneal-conjunctival xerosis. In this case, epithelial defects occur (recurrent erosion), and a corneal ulcer may develop (a serious disease that threatens complete blindness).
Therefore, it is important not only to treat the cause of conjunctivitis, but also to use tear substitutes.[1]
Fig. 4 Tear substitutes (moisturizing drops) used for chronic conjunctivitis
“Cationorm” is a unique cationic emulsion that is suitable for people with glaucoma, blepharitis, allergic conjunctivitis and people using hormone replacement therapy (menopausal hormones, oral contraceptives). The drug restores all three layers of tears and prevents itching and redness of the eyes. Cationorm helps with severe pain and dryness in the eyes that appears in the morning, and quickly relieves discomfort. Drops can be applied directly to lenses. Drops should be used 1-2 drops into the eye sac 1-4 times a day.[2]
"Ocutiarz" - eye drops based on hyaluronic acid (a natural component of human tears) with an ultra-high molecular weight help to quickly relieve dryness and eliminate pain in the eyes that occurs occasionally after prolonged visual work (computer syndrome in office employees, motorists/motorcyclists, frequent fliers , travelers, students). In addition, the drops are suitable for people after ophthalmic surgery and people who have recently worn contact lenses. They do not contain preservatives and can be in direct contact with lenses. Directions for use: 1-4 times a day, 1 drop.[3]
“Oftagel” is an eye gel with carbomer in maximum concentration that moisturizes the ocular surface for a long time, eliminates pain and lacrimation of the eyes, and does not require frequent instillation; it can be used once a day as a means of additional eye hydration. Suitable for people who do not have the opportunity or desire to use drops during the day. Use 1 drop of the drug 1 – 4 times a day, depending on the severity of symptoms.[4]
In conclusion, the following points need to be emphasized:
Modern drugs used in ophthalmology, as a rule, have a wide spectrum and combined nature of action, so the same medicine can be prescribed for different types and forms of conjunctivitis. On the other hand, each variant of the inflammatory process requires a special approach - for example, a herpes viral infection is treated slightly differently than a “simple” adenoviral infection.
Further, there are very dangerous, but statistically rarer, or not typical for our latitudes forms of conjunctivitis - parasitic, epidemic Koch-Wicks, etiologically unclear, mixed (involving the cornea, eyelids, etc.) - therapy for which is beyond the scope of this article.
Finally, many of the drugs described above have absolute or relative contraindications, i.e. should be excluded or prescribed in sparing dosages (or under special medicinal cover) in the treatment of conjunctivitis in such categories of patients as children, pregnant or lactating women, people with weak immunity, patients with severe somatic pathology, etc. Considering the huge number of such clinical, therapeutic , pharmacological nuances, any attempts at self-medication, incl. "folk" means. Conjunctivitis of any genesis (origin) is not as harmless as it seems to many; in some cases, it poses a direct danger to vision, which is why timely seeking ophthalmological help is so important.
Material prepared by: Sagonenko Dmitry Alekseevich
Ophthalmologist, site consultant
List of sources used
- Kovalevskaya M.A., Maychuk D.Yu., Brzhesky V.V. Red eye syndrome. Practical guide for ophthalmologists. Moscow, 2010
- Brzhesky V.V., Algorithm for choosing tear replacement therapy in patients in outpatient practice, Clinical Ophthalmology 2021, No. 1
- Instructions for use of Ocutiarz® ophthalmic moisturizing solution
- Maychuk Yu. F., Yani E. V., Maychuk D. Yu. Artificial tear preparation Oftagel in the treatment of dry eye syndrome after epidemic keratoconjunctivitis / Breast Cancer “Clinical Ophthalmology”, No. 4 of November 12, 2001, p. 172.
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