Abstract :
Background: Inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is caused due to exposure to allergens is called allergic conjunctivitis. Simple allergic conjunctivitis is fairly common and the symptoms are usually underrated and, most of the patients do not go to the hospital for treatment. There is a wide variation in the occurrence of allergic conjunctivitis in different geographical parts of the world.
Materials and Methods: 158 of the patients with allergic conjunctivitis were included in the study were found to have allergic conjunctivitis. Complete history including symptoms such as redness, itching, teary eyes etc. were taken in detail.
Results: 53.2% were in the primary school, while 37.3% were in the middle school, or between 6-10th class and 9.5% were in the 11th or 12 std. Exposure to dust was the main cause for allergic conjunctivitis as was seen in 32.3% of the cases. Smoke was the second most common cause with 22.8% affected, followed by Dye eyes in 13.9% of the cases. All the patients experienced itching in the eye, and were rubbing their
eyes often. (98.7%). 86.1% had watery eyes with over Lacrimal secretion. Majority of the patients (81.6%) with allergic conjunctivitis had allergic rhinitis. 32.3% had asthma, and 13.3% had atopic dermatitis.
Conclusion: Since Allergic conjunctivitis is a mild disease with little morbidity, the patients fail to understand the importance of a regular eye checkup. This can be corrected with the help of health education to the students and the patents in the community.
Keyword :
Allergic conjunctivitis, Allergic rhinitis, Prevalence.