Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca, also known as Dry Eye Syndrome, is a commonly diagnosed condition in eye care clinics, especially among older adults (1). The condition occurs when the surface of the eye becomes irritated and the tear reflexes are not sufficient to wash the irritation away. The immune system is then activated to attack the irritation, and T-cells begin to release cytokines onto the ocular surface. Prolonged exposure to cytokines can cause damage to the tissues of the eye, including the lacrimal glands that are responsible for producing tears (2). The damage causes more inflammatory responses to be activated, causing a cycle that leads to reduced tear production and consequently the symptoms of Dry Eye Syndrome, including burning, redness, stinging, or a scratchy sensation in the eye (3). Since Dry Eye Syndrome is associated with an inflammatory response, it was hypothesized that a potential treatment for Dry Eye could involve disrupting the inflammatory cascade using a neuromodulator that inhibited a component of the inflammatory response mechanism.
In 2002, the Food and Drug Administration approved the distribution of a new drug designed to treat dry eye syndrome. The drug, Cyclosporine Ophthalmic Emulsion, has the brand name Restasis and is manufactured by Allergan, Inc. The drug is in the form of a white opaque homogenous emulsion that is administered as an eye drop directly onto the ocular surface (4). The active ingredient in the drug is cyclosporine,
They bring together the latest scientific research with cutting edge product development. The A.G.E. Eye Complex from SkinCeuticals is an eye cream specifically formulated to reduce the signs of aging by reducing puffiness along with the appearance of dark circles and crow's feet.
representative of the pharmaceutical company VIVUS how they can make a drug for such a new,
LATISSE® solution should be used with caution in patients with active intraocular inflammation (e.g., uveitis) because the inflammation may be exacerbated is required to be mentioned in the print advertisement. Also, the direction that it is important to apply LATISSE® only to the skin of the upper eyelid margin at the base of the eyelashes using the accompanying sterile applicators should have been mentioned to inform the patients about the proper usage of the product. Such statements raise considerable public health concerns and are particularly alarming when not informed in the
Shire intended to introduce a new dry-eye drug to the US market by featuring actress Jennifer Aniston to unveil an awareness campaign. The drugmaker expected to attain enormous impacts through publicizing with multiple channels in order to lay the foundation of the introduction of the new dry eye drug, Xiidra. The invention of this new drug is an attempt to deal with rare disease that has affected millions of people, which also showed Shire’s commitment to health.
It is estimated that the incidence of optic neuropathy in patients treated with amiodarone is 1.76% compared to only a 0.3% incidence of optic neuropathy developing in those not treated with amiodarone.12 The exact pathophysiology of optic neuropathy caused by amiodarone is unknown, but it is postulated that damage is caused by drug induced lipidosis.9, 10 Amiodarone is a triiodated benzofuran derivative; it is a cationic amphophilic drug possessing closely spaced hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups that allow the drug to enter lysosomes and bind irreversibly to polar lipids.11 The resulting complexes accumulate in the lysosomes as lamellar inclusion bodies which phospholipases cannot catalyze, resulting in mechanical damage to optic nerve axons via blockage of axoplasmic flow.7, 11,12 This may lead to the optic edema observed in many patients that persists for months after the medication is discontinued due to the drug’s long half-life.12 Another theory is that oxidative damage is the culprit. When amiodarone is reduced, iodine is cleaved from the molecule which generated oxygen-free radicals. Amidoarone generated free radicals can cause an increase in cellular lipid peroxidation and drug-lipid
Blepharoconjunctivitis is the combining of a severe case of blepharitis and conjunctivitis. Blepharitis is an irritation and inflammation of the eyelids. Conjunctivitis is an irritation and inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the thin layer that covers the white of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelids. It occurs when normal bacteria that live on the eyelid skin cause irritation and inflammation to your eyelids. The irritation and inflammation also spreads to the
Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelids caused by bacteria or dandruff. The eyeballs become red, crusty, itchy, and swollen. It affects all age groups and is not contagious. Treatments are antibiotics and steroids. If the person creates a daily cleaning routine by rinsing the eyes with baby shampoo it will eventually go away.
S., Church, M. K., & Scadding, G. K. (2016). Allergic rhinitis: impact, diagnosis, treatment and management. Clinical Pharmacist, Retrieved March 31, 2017, from http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/research/review-article/allergic-rhinitis-impact-diagnosis-treatment-and-management/20201509.article#fn_1
According to Burns et al. (2013, p. 585), an oral H1 antihistamines and/or an intranasal steroid is the first line of treatment. Antihistamines such as cetirizine and loratadine are less sedating and help treat rhinorrhea, sneezing, and pruritus of eyes and nose (Edmunds & Mayhew, 2014, p. 198-200). These medications can be given to children two and older. Often times, they are prescribed one or two weeks before seasonal allergies occur to help prevent symptoms from transpiring. Antihistamines also come in a spray. Intranasal steroids are commonly used in a long-term therapy because it helps decrease inflammation, edema, and mucus production (Burns et al., 2013, p. 586). It is important to teach the patient not to tilt head back when using nasal spray, they should look at their toes when administering the spray. According to DeShazo and Kemp (2016), the glucocorticoid nasal sprays are the most effective single pharmacologic therapy for treating AR in patients with persistent or moderate to severe symptoms. Decongestants may also be utilized in children four and older, but they have a limited term effect due to side effects. Topical decongestants must be used with caution because of systemic absorption and rebound rhinorrhea. There are two other medications that may be used with seasonal and perennial AR. Cromolyn can be used in children two years and older, but it is not
There were overall 170 forums and 6 blogs about parents’ experiences administering eye drops, asthma inhalers, nasal medications and eczema lotions and creams to their children. The studies about eye drops and asthma inhalers were presented at this year’s European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Congress in Barcelona (please find appended the two posters presented).
The study reported that the outpatient visits for allergic conjunctivitis were significantly correlated with the levels of NO2, O3, and temperature.
The cornea is most significantly affected by the active metabolic pump in the endothelium. This layer of cells in the posterior of the cornea maintain the fluid pump to keep the cornea dry and clear through the metabolic pump which is activated by temperature and the sodium potassium ATPase enzyme. The cell density of this basement membrane is vital as it is 7500 cells/mm2 and decreases with age (Michael 2014). If this cell density reaches low levels of approximately 300-500 cells/mm2 then a corneal edema develops since the endothelium cannot maintain the pumping of the fluid and eventually floods the cornea which could be the cause of the corneal edema in the corneal epithelial layer (Michael 2014).
Medique Alcalak. Medline Plus. DailyMed. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Washington, D.C. Available at: http://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. Accessed March 6,
Allergic conjunctivitis is an inflammatory disease (1) that is initiated by production of pro-inflammatory mediators including histamine, leukotrienes, and prostaglandins that cause edema and recruitment of neutrophils, macrophages, and mast cells (2). The infiltrating leukocytes switch from producing pro-inflammatory mediators to generating the pro-resolution mediators lipoxins, resolvins, protectins, and maresins (2-5). These compounds actively terminate inflammation by blocking the effects of the pro-inflammatory mediators on their target tissues including the conjunctival goblet cells (GC).
Connie Lee Barnes, Constance A. McKenzie, Kathy D. Webster, Kim Poinsett-Holmes. Cetirizine: A New, Non-sedating Antihistamine, Sage journals. 2016 Jun. 28: journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/106002809302700414