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Dr. Julien Cottet (allergist doctor)
The new variant of Covid-19, called Arcturus or XBB.1.16, can cause conjunctivitis. But then how to tell the difference between conjunctivitis of viral, bacterial or allergic origin? The answers of Dr Julien Cottet, allergist doctor and vice president of the French Society of Allergology.
Conjunctivitis is an irritation of the conjunctiva, one of the structures that makes up our eye. “Typically, the main symptom is the gritty feeling in the eye.” explains first of all Dr. Julien Cottet, allergist doctor and vice president of the French Society of Allergology. Conjunctivitis can be caused by a virus, in particular the new variant of Covid-19 – but can also be of bacterial or viral origin.
Precisely, because of these different causes, how to know the origin of conjunctivitis? According to Dr. Cottet, there are a few simple ways to differentiate conjunctivitis.
“You should already know that conjunctivitis caused by the Covid virus is rare, between 1 and 3% of cases on average“says the doctor straight away. “The distinction must be made with the associated symptoms“.
- “For conjunctivitis caused by the Arcturus variantthe patient will present, in addition to his conjunctivitis, a fever, lymph nodes, a loss of taste and smell… A set of symptoms which will direct towards the diagnosis of a viral conjunctivitis” says the doctor;
- For allergic conjunctivitis, exposure to pollen is the cause that will trigger it. “In this case, the patient knows he is atopic and even if this is not the case, he realizes that it is outside, or by rolling the windows open, that his symptoms appear. There can also be a notion of family atopy with people around you who have allergies” reminds the specialist;
- Regarding bacterial conjunctivitis, they resemble viral conjunctivitis. However, they”generally affect children and are more focused on the ENT sphere” specifies Julien Cottet.
Finally, another way to tell them apart:viral or bacterial conjunctivitis only affects one eye, before spreading to the other after a few days. Allergic conjunctivitis affects both eyes at the same time, sometimes one eye predominates, but usually both are affected“says the doctor.
What are the treatments to adopt?
Everything will depend on the cause. “In all cases, it is important to moisten the eye and put on artificial tears, to limit dryness and scratching. Viral conjunctivitis will be treated in this way, bacterial conjunctivitis will require antibiotic treatment. Finally, allergic conjunctivitis can be relieved by two types of eye drops: an antihistamine or a cromone. And in addition, in people with allergies, it is important to treat the nose with a corticosteroid spray, which improves eye symptoms. Because in 80% of cases, conjunctivitis is accompanied by allergic rhinitis” csays the doctor.