الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Allergic conjunctivitis in childhood and adolescent age is common and may be mistaken for infective conjunctivitis. Among the different varieties of allergic conjunctivitis, vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is the most troublesome, where the child suffers from intense itching grittiness, mucoid discharge, redness, lacrimation, and photophobia. Affected patients may be allergic to airborne allergens like pollens, mites, molds, and animal dandruff. VKC mostly affects young boys between 5-20 years with a self-limiting course. It starts resolving around puberty, and it rarely persists beyond the age of 25 years. VKC is a debilitating disease because of the severe discomfort, but more importantly, it is a potential sight-threatening disorder. Patients with VKC experience significant morbidity, which affects the quality of life by the intense itching, causing dryness sensation, vision fatigue and even reading difficulties. Moreover, a vision-threatening corneal complication in severe and chronic cases coupled with potential iatrogenic side effects makes VKC a concerning ocular surface disorder. These findings suggest that treatment of VKC should improve not only the children’s signs and symptoms but also their daily life and functioning. Vision has an essential role in a child’s development, and a visual deficit is a risk factor not only for altered vision-sensory development but also for overall socioeconomic status throughout life. Ocular allergies are not only distressing to patients but they have contributed to increased health care costs. Hypersensitivity may perhaps be considered as a practical, emotional and psychosocial health problem – not primarily a physical. |