Hyderabad: Antibiotics are being misused for viral and allergic conjunctivitis where they are not found to be effective and resistance is being developed in patients, according to a study published in the journal Ophthalmology.
Eye infections are caused by virus, bacteria, fungi and protozoa and it falls on the ophthalmologist’s examination techniques to differentiate between these infections.
Dr M. Swarup, senior ophthalmologist, explained, “Often it begins with a viral infection and develops into a bacterial infection. This is the time when antibiotics have to be prescribed.”
For non-bacterial infections prescribing antibiotics leads to side effects, apart from the bacteria developing resistance. The study found that conjunctivitis is caused mostly due to viruses and if proper medication and rest is taken it subsides. “Antibiotics are often taken without consulting the doctor. People come to the doctor when the situation is worse. Contact lens users take a longer time to recover and often develop acute infection,” said Dr Nand Kishore, senior ophthalmologist.
