1.2. Allergic and irritant conjunctivitis
Before discussing the major contents of the chapter, it is necessary to briefly discuss allergic and irritant conjunctivitis.
Figure 3.
Allergic conjunctivitis- look for follicles and papillae which are characteristic of allergic conjunctivitis
Allergic conjunctivitis is seen in two acute disorders; seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (which is prevalent in the summer months) and perennial allergic conjunctivitis (which presents intermittently) and three chronic disorders, vernal keratoconjunctivitis, atopic keratoconjunctivitis and giant papillary conjunctivitis. Allergic conjunctivitis is considered to be a type I hypersensitivity reaction. Its treatment is largely supportive, although in severe cases, topical corticosteroids may be of some benefit 1.