Amid conjunctivitis, eye flu surge, doctors warn against irrational use of steroid eye drops

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

conjunctivitis and eye flu cases in the national capital, doctors have warned against the irrational use of steroid eye drops, saying it may bring temporary relief but can do more harm in the long run. Early detection and use of appropriate therapies are key to expeditious resolution of the disease and can help minimise potential harmful effects or transmission of untreated conjunctivitis, Dr J S Bhalla, a senior consultant eye surgeon at the DDU hospital said. Conjunctivitis in the present epidemic is a self-limiting disease and does not require antibiotic treatment in all cases, he said, adding that hand and facial hygiene are very important to prevent its spread. There is no approved treatment but topical corticosteroids may be helpful in a subgroup of patients with adenoviral conjunctivitis and may prevent scarring in severe cases. «It should be noted, however, that treatment guidelines suggest caution in the use of corticosteroids because they can potentially prolong infection,» Bhalla said. Dr J S Titiyal, chief of the RP Centre at AIIMS, said the condition is usually caused by viruses, which are highly contagious and spread quickly. He said the RP Centre found adenovirus to be the causative agent in all cases tested. Among these, nearly 20-30 per cent of cases have a positive bacterial culture as well, pointing towards superadded bacterial infection, Titiyal added.

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«The viral infection of the eyes is self-limiting and one can recover in one to two weeks. However, secondary bacterial infection may rarely occur and delay recovery,» he said. «In such cases, use of antibiotic eye drops is advised.» However, Bhalla said primary