A disease of the organs of vision in which the mucous membrane is affected by chlamydia is called ocular chlamydia. This disease It is infectious in nature and is accompanied by many problems, including swelling, redness, and rashes.
The main danger of the disease is late symptoms. When a person is diagnosed with ocular chlamydia, doctors are faced with treating an already complicated stage, which, although it is possible to cure, will take a lot of time. Treatment is aggravated due to possible complications that arise during the development of the infection.
The cylindrical epithelium is located in the mucous membrane of the eye, and during unfavorable conditions for the health of the body, bacteria awaken and actively multiply.
The disease has several names used in scientific medicine. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, a third of all conjunctivitis is due to ocular chlamydia. Very often, this disease appears against the background of pre-existing conjunctivitis in the presence of infection.
Forms of the disease
According to the method of infection and localization of eye damage, chlamydial conjunctivitis has the following forms:
- Paratrachoma – infection of one eye;
- Trachoma – damage to the conjunctiva and cornea of the eye, with possible scarring;
- Chlamydial uveitis is an inflammatory process of the choroid of the eye;
- Episcleritis - inflammation connective tissue eyes;
- Basin conjunctivitis - characterized by infection of the epidemiological type through water;
- Meibolit - infection occurs through animals;
- Reiter's syndrome - infection develops in the joints and then spreads to the eyes;
- Blepharitis is inflammation of the edge of the eyelid.
Almost every form of the disease is characterized by the appearance of small blisters that are prone to scarring.
Causes of chlamydial conjunctivitis
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection, so it’s easy to guess that you can catch chlamydia specifically in this way. An adult, already having the bacterium in his body, can easily transfer it to his eyes. This happens due to lack of hygiene through hands contaminated with secretions. It will be enough to touch the eye area, and an infection will enter the conjunctival sac.
In addition, infection by contact can occur from an infected person to a healthy person through personal items, such as a towel or handkerchief. Thus, a person accidentally discovers it in himself when chlamydia of the eyes appears.
Another reason for the development and appearance of the disease is infection through water, if a person visits a public swimming pool or uses contaminated water in institutions. Even when cleaning pools with a chlorine solution, this is not enough to fight the infection.
Newborns are born with the disease chlamydial conjunctivitis due to the fact that the pregnant mother already had this infection in her body during pregnancy. The child may become infected dangerous illness through infected birth canal. Treatment of the baby is complicated by possible complications, such as pneumonia.
Symptoms of chlamydia in the eyes
From the moment of infection to the appearance of the first symptoms of infection, it usually takes up to 2 weeks. As a rule, only one eye is affected; bilateral damage is seen in only a small proportion of patients. More than half of all cases of the disease occur in the form acute infection eyes, the other part - as a chronic course of the disease.
Symptoms of ocular chlamydia vary, but the most common are:
- redness of the eyes - manifests itself at an early stage of the disease. This symptom common to many eye diseases, therefore non-specific;
- pain and discomfort in the eye area in the form of burning and stinging;
- fear of light - a painful reaction to light occurs individually;
- the feeling of a foreign object in the eye means that the infection is localized under the eyelid;
- tearing - defense mechanism the eyes are trying to get rid of foreign formations, but tears are powerless against infection;
- deterioration of vision - observed at the stage of disease progression and without proper treatment leads to blindness;
- cloudiness of the image - the visible image appears unclear and blurred in the eyes;
- the presence of follicles is the main sign of ocular chlamydia. Bubbles are located on inside century
In each patient, chlamydial conjunctivitis occurs differently due to the individual characteristics of the body.
Carrying out diagnostics
To identify the bacterium, the doctor conducts an ophthalmological examination, performs laboratory tests, and the patient is referred for consultation to related specialists.
Most exact result gives a blood test and scraping from the conjunctiva. If an infection is detected, the doctor prescribes medications aimed at eliminating chlamydia and relieving the symptoms of the disease.
Ways to combat chlamydial conjunctivitis
Modern drugs help to completely cure the infectious disease. In particular, doctors prescribe etiotropic antibiotics, eye drops with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Chlamydial conjunctivitis can be treated with tetracycline ointment.
Upon appointment medicines the doctor must take into account the patient’s condition: for example, during pregnancy or lactation, some drugs are contraindicated. In addition, it is necessary to identify the presence of other chronic diseases or hereditary predisposition.
The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the disease. Therapy often takes up to 4 weeks, but it also happens that taking medications lasts six months. It is possible to destroy chlamydia only at a certain stage of their life cycle.
Chlamydia of the eye is treated with drugs such as Levofloxacin, Azithromycin, Vibramycin. Antibiotics do an excellent job of killing bacteria, leaving them no chance to develop. Along with antibiotics, the doctor prescribes medications that prevent side effects from the listed medications.
Antiallergic medications and agents aimed at maintaining and improving intestinal microflora are prescribed. After completing the course of taking the pills, the patient is sent for re-testing to make sure there is no infection. Chlamydial conjunctivitis can be cured completely if detected early.
For prevention, it will be enough to monitor hand hygiene, not use other people's cosmetics and strengthen the immune system.
– infection of the eye mucosa with chlamydia, accompanied by acute or chronic inflammation conjunctiva. Chlamydial conjunctivitis occurs with swelling of the conjunctiva and transitional folds, purulent discharge from the eyes, lacrimation, pain in the eyes, follicular rashes on the lower eyelid, parotid adenopathy, and symptoms of eustachitis. Diagnosis of chlamydial conjunctivitis involves conducting biomicroscopy, cytological, cultural, enzyme immunoassay, immunofluorescence, and PCR studies to determine chlamydia. Treatment of chlamydial conjunctivitis is carried out with tetracycline antibiotics, macrolides and fluoroquinolones until complete clinical and laboratory recovery.
General information
Chlamydial conjunctivitis (ophthalmochlamydia, ocular chlamydia) accounts for 3-30% of the number of conjunctivitis of various etiologies. Chlamydia of the eye is more common in people aged 20-30 years, while women get chlamydial conjunctivitis 2-3 times more often than men. Chlamydial conjunctivitis occurs mainly against the background of urogenital chlamydia (urethritis, colpitis, cervicitis), which can occur in an erased form and not bother the patient. Therefore, chlamydial infections are the focus of ophthalmology, venereology, urology, and gynecology.
Causes of chlamydial conjunctivitis
Different antigenic serotypes of chlamydia cause various lesions: thus, serotypes A, B, Ba and C lead to the development of trachoma; serotypes D - K – to the occurrence of adult paratrachoma, epidemic chlamydial conjunctivitis, urogenital chlamydia; serotypes L1-L3 – to the development of inguinal lymphogranulomatosis.
In most cases, chlamydial conjunctivitis occurs against the background of chlamydia of the genitourinary tract: according to statistics, about 50% of patients with ophthalmochlamydia also have a urogenital form of infection. In adults, ocular chlamydia develops as a result of the introduction of the pathogen into the conjunctival sac from the genitals through hygiene items and hands contaminated with secretions. In this case, a carrier of genitourinary chlamydia can infect not only his own organ of vision, but also the eyes of his healthy partner. Often, chlamydial conjunctivitis is a consequence of oral-genital sexual contact with an infected partner.
There are known cases of professional infection with chlamydial conjunctivitis among obstetricians-gynecologists, venereologists, urologists-andrologists, ophthalmologists examining patients with various forms chlamydia. Infection with chlamydial conjunctivitis is possible through water when visiting public pools and baths. This form of the disease is called “pool” or “bath” conjunctivitis and can often take on the character of epidemic outbreaks.
Chlamydial conjunctivitis may accompany the course of an autoimmune disease - Reiter's syndrome, however, the pathogenesis of ophthalmochlamydia in this pathology has not been fully studied.
Chlamydial conjunctivitis in newborns can develop as a result of intrauterine (transplacental) infection or infection of the eyes during childbirth from a mother with chlamydia. Chlamydial eye infection occurs in 5-10% of newborns.
Thus, sexually active men and women have an increased risk of developing chlamydial conjunctivitis; patients with chlamydia of the urogenital tract; family members (including children) where there are patients with genital or ocular chlamydia; medical specialists; persons visiting public baths, saunas, swimming pools; children born from mothers suffering from chlamydia.
Classification of forms of chlamydial conjunctivitis
Symptoms of chlamydial conjunctivitis
Clinical manifestations of chlamydial conjunctivitis develop after the incubation period (5-14 days). Typically, one eye is initially affected, with bilateral infection occurring in 30% of patients. In 65% of cases, chlamydial conjunctivitis occurs in the form of acute or subacute eye infection, in other cases - in a chronic form.
In the chronic course, there are sluggish, often recurrent blepharitis or conjunctivitis with moderately severe symptoms: slight swelling of the eyelids and hyperemia of the conjunctival tissue, mucous discharge from the eyes.
Acute chlamydial conjunctivitis and exacerbation of chronic forms are accompanied by severe swelling and infiltration of the mucous membrane of the eyes and transitional folds, photophobia and lacrimation, pain in the eyes, and copious discharge of mucopurulent or purulent secretion from the eyes that glues the eyelids. Pathognomonic is the development on the affected side of painless regional pre-auricular adenopathy, as well as eustacheitis, characterized by pain and noise in the ear, and hearing loss.
A visual examination of the eyes reveals multiple follicles and delicate fibrinous films on the conjunctiva, which, as a rule, resolve without scarring. Acute phase Chlamydial conjunctivitis lasts from 2 weeks to 3 months.
In newborns and young children, in addition to pronounced ocular symptoms, chlamydial pneumonia, nasopharyngitis, rhinitis, acute otitis, and eustachitis often develop. Complications such as stenosis of the nasolacrimal ducts and scarring of the conjunctiva are common.
Eye damage in Reiter's syndrome can occur in the form of chlamydial conjunctivitis, keratitis, iridocyclitis, choroiditis, retinitis.
Diagnosis of chlamydial conjunctivitis
Diagnostic tactics for suspected chlamydial conjunctivitis include: ophthalmological examination, laboratory tests, consultations with related specialists (venereologist, gynecologist, urologist, rheumatologist, otolaryngologist).
The leading role in confirming the diagnosis of chlamydial conjunctivitis belongs to laboratory tests. The optimal combination is various methods isolation of chlamydia in scrapings from the conjunctiva (cytological, immunofluorescent, cultural, PCR) and antibodies in the blood (ELISA). If necessary, patients are prescribed an examination for urogenital chlamydia.
Chlamydia of the eye must be differentiated from bacterial and adenoviral conjunctivitis.
Treatment of chlamydial conjunctivitis
Etiotropic drugs for chlamydial conjunctivitis are antibiotics: fluoroquinolones, macrolides, tetracyclines. Local therapy includes instillation of antibacterial eye drops (ofloxacin solution, ciprofloxacin solution), ointment applications over the eyelids (tetracycline ointment, erythromycin ointment), and the use of anti-inflammatory drops (indomethacin solution, dexamethasone solution).
Systemic treatment of chlamydia is carried out according to the STI therapy regimen. The criteria for cure of chlamydial conjunctivitis are: regression clinical symptoms, negative data from laboratory tests performed 2-4 weeks after the end of treatment and three subsequent tests taken at an interval of one month.
Prognosis and prevention of chlamydial conjunctivitis
The consequences of suffering from chlamydial conjunctivitis can be different. With rational therapy, the disease usually ends in complete recovery. Quite often, chlamydial conjunctivitis takes on a relapsing course.
The outcome of recurrent forms of ophthalmochlamydia can be scarring of the conjunctiva and cornea of the eyes, leading to decreased vision.
Prevention of chlamydial conjunctivitis requires timely identification and treatment of urogenital chlamydia in adults (including pregnant women), the use of individual hygiene items in the family, eye protection with goggles when swimming in the pool, and the use of protective equipment by medical personnel.
Chlamydial conjunctivitis (ophthalmochlamydia) develops due to damage to the eye mucosa by chlamydia. The inflammatory process can be acute or chronic. The disease occurs mainly in people young, women get sick several times more often than men. If symptoms of chlamydial conjunctivitis appear, you should consult an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.
This disease often develops against the background of urogenital infections caused by chlamydia. Therefore, it is often necessary to involve gynecologists, urologists and venereologists in the treatment of chlamydial conjunctivitis. Infection during pregnancy is especially dangerous: it can cause complications and infection of the child during childbirth.
Chlamydia trachomatis
The causative agent of ophthalmochlamydia is Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia can form L-forms and long time be in an inactive state. At the same time, the sick person does not even realize that he is a carrier and continues to infect others. Under the influence of unfavorable factors, intracellular microorganisms are activated and cause inflammation genitourinary organs or mucous membranes of the eyes with the appearance of characteristic signs.
The following provoking factors can cause chlamydial damage to the conjunctiva:
- non-compliance with personal hygiene rules, penetration of chlamydia from the human genitourinary tract (with the urogenital form of chlamydia);
- visiting public swimming pools and baths, where you can become infected with chlamydia;
- Reiter's syndrome, which is accompanied by rheumatic lesions not only joints, but also causes inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes and urogenital tract.
Treatment of chlamydial conjunctivitis
For symptoms of chlamydial conjunctivitis, tetracycline antibiotics, as well as fluoroquinolones and macrolides, are prescribed. Antibacterial agents can be prescribed in the form of drops and ointments or systemic preparations (tablets and injections). In mild cases of the disease, specialists usually limit themselves to the use of local medications, which are applied to the mucous membrane of the eye several times a day.
To suppress the active reproduction of the pathogen, instillation of eye drops with ofloxacin and ciprofloxacin is prescribed. At night it is recommended to put (tetracycline, erythromycin) in both eyes. Treatment should be primarily aimed at the cause of the disease - urogenital chlamydia. If it is detected, long-term antibacterial therapy is carried out, and local drugs are prescribed to treat the genitals.
Only a doctor knows how to treat inflammation of the conjunctiva in a particular patient. A specialist can select an effective drug therapy, which will quickly eliminate the main symptoms of chlamydial conjunctivitis and help prevent complications. At the end of the course of antibiotics, it is recommended to take repeated tests for urogenital chlamydia - 3 times, the interval between tests is 1 month.
Treatment with folk remedies
Anti-inflammatory infusions and herbal decoctions can be used as auxiliary methods for the treatment of ophthalmochlamydia. They reduce itching and inflammation, have an antiseptic effect and prevent the spread of infection to healthy tissue. At home, it is allowed to use an infusion for the conjunctival cavity pharmaceutical chamomile, linden blossom, calendula, oak bark. It is not recommended to use tea decoction because it is ineffective against chlamydia. cannot replace traditional therapy - chlamydia must be fought with strong antibiotics. Sometimes it is even necessary to carry out several courses (for chronic damage to the urogenital tract and conjunctiva).
It is forbidden to make lotions and bandages, as they disrupt the blood supply and nutrition of the cells of the mucous membrane of the eyes and can provoke complications such as. Throughout the entire treatment period you need to visit an ophthalmologist. If the symptoms of inflammation increase and the disease often recurs, this means that an ineffective choice of medications has been made. It's worth picking up more effective means that can overcome an old infection. Otherwise, under the influence of chlamydia, scarring will begin, which will lead to decreased vision and the need for surgical interventions.
Prevention
With timely treatment, the prognosis is favorable. Chlamydia can be destroyed, which is necessarily confirmed by the results of laboratory tests. Prevention consists of early initiation of antibacterial therapy when urogenital chlamydia is detected. This disease is prone to chronicity, and with each passing month, effective therapy It's getting more and more difficult. Chlamydia can cause prolonged inflammation of the genitourinary organs, lead to the formation of adhesions and regularly provoke exacerbation of conjunctivitis.
Prevention measures:
- refusal of unprotected sexual intercourse, prevention of chlamydia from the genitals getting on the mucous membrane of the eyes;
- compliance with all personal safety rules when visiting public swimming pools and baths, eye protection with goggles;
- refusal to use other people's personal hygiene items; each family member should have their own linen and towel.
Important! To prevent the development of chlamydia in newborns, it is recommended to conduct a number of studies at the stage of pregnancy planning. If a doctor detects chlamydia, urgent treatment is required for both sexual partners. And only a few months after receiving a series of satisfactory laboratory tests can you plan to conceive.
Chlamydial conjunctivitis (or ocular chlamydia) is not a harmless disease in which the eyes simply itch and water (sometimes it does not manifest itself at all). This pathology in most cases is a sign indicating a high probability of organ damage genitourinary system. In newborns, the disease leads to severe pathologies respiratory tract, liver, ENT organs. If you ignore the symptoms and do not treat conjunctivitis, the process invades the cornea, causing visual disturbances.
Description of chlamydia ocular
Chlamydial conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eyes when it is affected by chlamydia (genus Chlamydia trahomati) - intracellular microorganisms that have a number of properties characteristic of both bacterial and viral infections.
Other names of the pathology found in medical sources are ocular chlamydia, ophthalmochlamydia, trachoma, paratrachoma and oculourogenital infection.
Features of the pathology
The characteristic features of the disease include the following facts:
- Among all cases of conjunctivitis, ophthalmochlamydia is observed in 10–30% of patients. Both adults and very young children, including newborns, are infected.
- In half of the patients, chlamydial eye infection occurs not as an independent disease, but as one of the signs of damage to the genitourinary system.
- Most often people get sick between the ages of 20 and 30, which is explained by an active sexual life during this period.
- Conjunctivitis of this type is often observed in children at puberty (13 - 15 years old), which is associated with early onset sexual life.
- Underage girls, like adult women, are affected 2 to 3 times more often than men or boys.
- Chlamydia of the eye takes longer and is more difficult to treat than other bacterial infections because chlamydia often does not respond to many types of medications.
- The disease is often practically asymptomatic and quickly becomes chronic, causing serious complications.
- After recovery, the body’s immunity to the disease does not develop, so multiple re-infections are possible.
Is chlamydial conjunctivitis contagious?
Conjunctivitis caused by chlamydia is a contagious disease, since the bacteria are easily spread by contact, surviving on objects touched by the patient for up to 24 hours. The source of infection is a person suffering from any type of chlamydia.
A carrier of the disease can infect healthy person after a long period of time after the pathogen has settled in his body. This occurs due to the ability of the microbe to create specific forms, capable of staying inside cells for a long time in “sleep mode” and then becoming active.
Causes of pathology development and risk factors
The main cause of the disease is the penetration into the eyes of a pathogen transferred from the genitals during intimate intimacy (sexual route of infection), as well as from hands and personal belongings that have become infected with the infected secretions of a sick person (domestic route).
The activation of chlamydia can be triggered by unfavorable factors, including:
- acute viral and bacterial infections;
- suppressed immunity due to severe and long-term illnesses or taking immunosuppressants;
- overheating and hypothermia of the body;
- long-term treatment antibacterial agents;
- already existing autoimmune disease- Reiter's syndrome (the causes and mechanism of development have not been fully studied).
Who is at risk
You are more likely to become infected:
- adults and teenagers 13–15 years old who are active sex life with frequent changes of partner;
- patients with urogenital chlamydial infection;
- members of a family or close group where a patient with any type of chlamydia is located;
- newborns (if the mother is infected);
- persons diagnosed with chronic conjunctivitis of any type;
- people who often spend time in saunas, baths, and visit swimming pools.
Symptoms of the disease
In 70% of cases, chlamydial eye infection occurs without severe symptoms, sluggish, which is why it is so difficult to diagnose and treat it in time.
As a rule, in the case of an acute form of the disease, symptoms begin to appear after a latent period lasting from 5 to 12, and sometimes up to 30 days. In the majority of infected people, one eye is initially affected, and after 2–6 days, in 30% of them, signs of chlamydia appear in the second one.
The symptoms of acute and chronic forms of eye infection are different.
Basic symptoms of pathology - table
| Symptoms | ||
| Form | Onset of the disease | Progression or re-development |
| Acute (in children and adults) |
| With disease progression in the interval from 3–5 days to 2–3 weeks:
|
| Duration from 2 weeks to 3 months | ||
| Chronic | Characterized by a long, sluggish course with mild symptoms and short periods of remission (subsidence of symptoms). During the period of exacerbation the following are noted:
|
|
Diagnostics
Accurate diagnosis if the development of an oculourogenital infection is suspected is necessary to prescribe complete and correct therapy aimed specifically at chlamydia. Competent treatment will prevent relapses (exacerbations of the disease), the transition of the disease to a latent, sluggish form, the development of complications and the spread of pathogens in the body.
Diagnosis of ocular chlamydia is based on external signs of pathological changes in the tissues of the organ of vision and on the results of several research methods.
The following methods are considered the most informative:
- Detection of the pathogen in a scraping (smear with tissue cells) from the conjunctiva (carried out under local anesthesia). To analyze a smear, use:
- Cytological method (cellular). It is the simplest and detects foreign microorganisms in the cells of conjunctival tissue. However, its implementation does not allow us to accurately determine the type pathogenic bacteria, which struck the eye.
- Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). It is considered a highly informative method that detects all types of chlamydia.
- PCR (polymerase chain reaction). Allows you to identify a DNA section in the test material that is characteristic specifically for chlamydia.
- Culture method. Consists of cultivating (growing) bacteria in cell culture(as a rule, a special McSoy environment is used). This is the most informative method, giving an absolutely accurate result, confirming or excluding the presence of chlamydia, even if they are present in very small quantities in the scraping. A significant disadvantage is that this is the most expensive and time-consuming diagnostic method. Cultivation requires 2–3 days.
- Serological tests (of secondary importance).
Differential diagnosis
By external signs, differentiate ophthalmochlamydia from bacterial infection eye is very difficult, since the main signs are similar. But an experienced specialist can distinguish infection with chlamydial bacteria from viral conjunctivitis, based on a certain difference in symptoms.
Main features infectious diseases eyes are similar to each other, therefore, without tests, determine the reason for the appearance of such unpleasant symptoms it can be difficult
Differences between chlamydial and viral conjunctivitis - table
| Symptoms | Type of conjunctivitis | |
| Chlamydial | Viral | |
| Discharge from the eyes | mucopurulent and abundant | transparent and scanty |
| Presence of follicles | are being formed | none |
| Tearing | moderate | expressed |
| Reaction to light | moderate | severe photophobia |
| Other Features | Only one eye may be affected, especially in the early stages | both eyes are affected |
| dependence on current acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections is not traced | in most cases accompanied by acute respiratory infections, ARVI, influenza | |
How to treat chlamydial eye disease
The peculiarity of chlamydia is that it is difficult to treat, since not all antibacterial drugs capable of destroying the pathogen. As a result of incorrectly prescribed therapy, infected patients receive a long-term, indolent eye infection, in which microorganisms, along with the bloodstream, easily penetrate into other organs.
It is prohibited to self-prescribe medications. Self-medication can “mask” the true signs of pathology, worsen the condition and contribute to the development of a chronic form of the disease.
The main principle of therapy is a combination treatment prescribed by a dermatologist or dermatovenerologist, ophthalmologist, gynecologist and urologist.
As already mentioned, eye diseases caused by chlamydia are usually associated with urogenital chlamydia, have a protracted course with a tendency to exacerbations and re-infections, and are accompanied by numerous complications, so therapy for this pathology is difficult.
The main medications that a doctor prescribes to a patient are:
- Antibiotics in tablet form. Of these, macrolides, fluoroquinols and tetracyclines, which have pronounced activity against chlamydia. The results obtained in practice confirm the high effectiveness of the following drugs in the complex treatment of ophthalmochlamydia: Ciprolet, Xenaquin (Lomefloxacin), Sumamed (Azithromycin, Zitrolide).
- Antibiotics in the form of drops. They are used to destroy pathogens in the tissues of the eye. The following drugs are widely used: Picloxidine, Okacin, Vitabact, Colbiotsin, Tsipromed, Floxal.
- Antibiotics in ointment form. They also help kill germs in the eye. Tetracycline, erythromycin ointments, Ofloxacin and Floxal are successfully used.
Please note that Colbiocin and Vitabact often cause eye irritation and allergic reactions. In these cases, the medicine is discontinued by prescribing Cromohexal or Lecrolin. According to observations, patients tolerate Tsipromed and Okacin best, which are very effective against chlamydia.
With regard to antimicrobial therapy, it should be noted that the “old” treatment regimen involved the use of Erythromycin or Tetracycline in combination with Doxycycline. However, in Lately specialists try not to prescribe Tetracycline due to multiple side effects and the development of bacteria towards it high degree sustainability.
Before starting antibacterial treatment, patients with a confirmed diagnosis of chlamydial conjunctivitis (and their sexual partners) are recommended to be screened for other sexually transmitted diseases, including syphilis and gonorrhea.
Treat local medications Both eyes should be treated, even if only one is infected.
Medicines used in treatment are shown in the photo
Local treatment with Sumamed is effective when taking the same antibiotic orally 
Lefloxacin - popular eye drops for trachoma 
Antimicrobial drops Tsipromed are often used in the treatment of chlamydial conjunctivitis 
Vitabact is one of the most safe means for treatment bacterial conjunctivitis 
Okacin is highly effective against chlamydial eye infections 
Floxal - local remedy for eye installations 
Erythromycin ointment is used topically for chlamydia of the eye 
Azithromycin is an active antibiotic against chlamydia
Additionally, the doctor prescribes:
- For corneal lesions - eye gel Solcoseryl, Actovegin.
- When tear secretion is suppressed - Oftagel, Vidisik.
- In case of persistent progression and active development of follicular manifestations, physiotherapeutic laser treatment is recommended.
- With severe swelling and severe irritation conjunctiva - installation of antiallergic drops: in acute period Allergophthal, Olopatadine, Spersallerg (Antazoline and Tetrizoline), Ditadrine (Diphenhydramine and Naphazoline) are used, and in chronic cases - Alomil and Lecrolin.
- Inside - antihistamines(Desloratadine, Zodak, Suprastin, Tavegil).
- On the 7th–8th day of treatment for severe inflammation and swelling - hormonal eye drops Dexapos (Dexamethasone), Maxidex in a short course.
Folk remedies
Treatment of conjunctivitis is entirely related to the cause, and herbal medicine can only be used as an addition to the main medications prescribed by a doctor, as a means to reduce inflammation and swelling. But the strong antibacterial activity necessary to destroy chlamydia, natural substances, which are used in folk medicine, do not possess.
If the diagnosis of chlamydial infection has not yet been confirmed, and the eye pathology is caused by gonococcal infection or Pseudomonas aeruginosa, drug treatment should be started immediately rather than trying to use prescriptions traditional medicine, since a delay of even a day can lead to loss of an eye.
Experts recommend using herbs and natural substances for topical use very carefully and advise consulting an ophthalmologist before doing so, since folk remedies may reduce the effect of the main medicinal drugs and provoke severe allergic reactions.
From healing "potions" homemade it is advisable to use only those that are intended for oral use and have general antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and strengthening properties immune system properties.
Forbidden:
- apply bandages, since such “treatment” increases the risk of corneal inflammation;
- make warm compresses that create a “greenhouse effect”, especially favorable for the activation of microorganisms;
- rinse your eyes with tea leaves, since tannins tighten the pores along the edges of the eyelids, “sealing” the remains of purulent discharge;
- drop urine into the eyes (risk of damage to the cornea);
- wash your face tap water, as it will increase inflammation.
Some home recipes:
- Take chamomile, marshmallow and eyebright in equal quantities. Pour a tablespoon of dry collection into 250 ml of boiling water and keep on low heat for 10 minutes. Gently rinse your eyes with a warm decoction every hour until the inflammation goes away.
- Mix the juice of endive lettuce (1 part), carrots (4 parts), celery, parsley, 1 part each and take 3 times a day, half a glass before meals.
- Mix hop cones and blueberry (or blueberry) leaves in a 1:1 ratio. Pour a tablespoon of the mixture into 250 ml of boiling water and leave for 60–90 minutes. Drink 50 ml half an hour before meals 4 times a day.
- Dill juice has been successfully used for eye irritation. Cotton soft cloth moisten it in fresh dill juice and then apply it to the eyelids for 30–40 minutes.
- Finely grate raw potatoes, mix eggs with whites, squeeze a little and apply on eyelids. Place a cloth soaked in hot water on the back of your neck.
- If you are not allergic to honey, dilute it with warm boiled water in a ratio of 1:2 and use it as a lotion.
Medicinal herbs and natural products for eye chlamydia - photo gallery
Hop cones are used in eye wash mixtures 
Honey dissolved in water is a good bactericidal agent. 
Marshmallow is good to use in decoctions for ophthalmochlamydia 
Blueberry leaf is used in antiseptic preparations 
Carrot juice has a healing effect on sore eyes 
Diluted dill juice will help with chlamydia of the eyes 
Chamomile relieves inflammation and disinfects
Features of the disease in children, pregnant and lactating women
Acute chlamydia in newborns is characterized by specific symptoms. They appear 3–10 days after birth, most often in one eye. In this case you can observe:
- copious purulent discharge from the conjunctival cavity, often brown color due to blood admixture;
- severe swelling and inflammation of the edges of the eyelids (blepharitis);
- bright hyperemia (redness), swelling of the conjunctiva with enlarged papillae;
- “sticking together” of the eyelids after sleep and covering the ciliary edge with brownish crusts;
- development of follicular nodules from 20–28 days of a child’s life, if the process is not stopped with medications.
With treatment, inflammation subsides after 2–3 weeks.
If a child’s disease is not diagnosed and treated on time, it becomes chronic, causing exacerbations. At the same time, parents for a long time can't understand the real reason permanent colds, increased fatigue child, inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system.
While waiting for confirmation of the diagnosis, doctors consider the prophylactic use of erythromycin ophthalmic ointment justified.
It is not recommended to administer Erythromycin orally to newborns due to serious side effects drug, including hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (narrowing of the pylorus of the stomach), which is diagnosed 8 times more often in infants 3–14 days of age receiving treatment with a drug of general effect (on the whole body).
In modern pediatrics, Azithromycin (Sumamed in suspension) is used, which is considered as effective and less dangerous drug. From local funds use Vitabact, Picloxidine, tetracycline and erythromycin ointments, Tsipromed, approved for the treatment of children over 12 months.
The use of tetracycline orally is contraindicated in patients under 12 years of age.
Chlamydia during pregnancy affects the health of the child
Chlamydia of the eyes in pregnant women in most cases is a sign of general damage to the body by this infection. Early miscarriages, problems with the development of the child, disruption of placental blood flow and other complications are possible.
In any case, systemic antibiotic treatment (in tablets, injections) in the first trimester is prohibited. Antibacterial therapy possible only after 12–16 weeks of gestation. Azithromycin, Spiramycin, Josamycin, Amoxicillin are used.
Tetracycline, Erythromycin are prohibited during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
For external medications, a specialist may allow the use of Ofloxacil and Floxal, provided that the benefits of treatment exceed possible risks. The instructions for these products state that their use is prohibited during pregnancy and lactation, since no studies have been conducted. The same applies to Picloxidin and Fucithalmic, although when applied topically they are not absorbed into the general bloodstream. Vitabact is prescribed from the neonatal period, therefore it is used for therapy in nursing mothers and pregnant women (after 12 weeks).
Treatment prognosis and possible complications
If the diagnosis is made on time, competent complex treatment taking into account the severity of the pathology, its form (acute or chronic), the patient’s age, his condition (pregnancy, lactation), internal diseases, the prognosis is quite favorable. Complete cure can be expected 3–6 weeks after the start of therapy.
In advanced cases it is possible:
- development of keratitis (damage to the cornea), followed by ulceration, disruption visual function(up to blindness);
- scarring of conjunctival tissue with decreased visual acuity;
- infection of other parts of the eye (blepharitis);
- penetration of pus into the eyeball;
- transition from acute to chronic disease;
- deepening infectious process with its spread to other organs and the development of urogenital infection.
Chlamydia of the eye usually refers to what doctors call ophthalmochlamydia, or chlamydial conjunctivitis. In fact, ocular chlamydia is any infection of the eye mucosa by chlamydia. According to various researchers, chlamydial conjunctivitis accounts for 10 to 30% of all (!) conjunctivitis.
Chlamydial conjunctivitis occurs in adult men and women in the following forms:
- trachoma
- paratrachoma
- pool conjunctivitis
- chlamydial uveitis (inflammation of the uvea of the eye)
- conjunctivitis with Reiter's syndrome
- chlamydial episcleritis (inflammation of the episclera - the connective tissue between the conjunctiva and sclera)
- chlamydial meibolith (inflammation of the meibolian glands of the eye) with the spread of chlamydia, “transmitted” to the owner by their animals (the so-called chlamydia of zoonotic nature).
Often, ocular chlamydia, or ophthalmochlamydia, acts as a concomitant disease to the main chlamydia. The main cause of conjunctivitis of chlamydial nature is urogenital chlamydia - chlamydia of the genital organs. According to statistics, at least 50% of patients with ophthalmochlamydia have sexual form chlamydial infection.
Ophthalmochlamydia often affects newborns, which is often aggravated by damage to other organs, causing chlamydial pneumonia, rhinitis, nasopharyngitis, eustachitis, acute otitis media, and more severe damage to the respiratory system.
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Methods of infection and transmission routes of ophthalmochlamydia (chlamydial conjunctivitis)
Chlamydial conjunctivitis (conjunctivitis chlamydialis) in adult women and men mainly occurs as a result of the transfer of the pathogen (chlamydia) from the genitals to the eyes, into the conjunctival sac through hands and toiletries contaminated with secretions (handkerchief, towel, etc.). Moreover, a carrier of chlamydial infection can transfer it not only to his own organ of vision, but also to his healthy partner. Chlamydial conjunctivitis often becomes a consequence of orogenital sexual intercourse. In such cases, direct infection of the eyes may occur.
Thus, chlamydial infection of the eyes often becomes the first indicator of the presence of asymptomatic sexual chlamydia caused by Chlamydia trahomatis in a patient or his sexual partner.
Conjunctival eye lesions in children can also occur as a result of accidental transmission of chlamydial infection to the eyes.
IN medical practice diseases of chlamydial conjunctivitis are also found among obstetricians, gynecologists, urologists, andrologists and venereologists. Such ophthalmochlamydia occurs after examination of patients suffering from the urogenital form of chlamydia. There are also known cases of transmission of infection to ophthalmologists from patients.
Ophthalmochlamydia often “accompanies” a disease such as Reiter's syndrome. But the mechanisms of occurrence, transmission, spread and features of chlamydial eye damage in this disease have not yet been fully elucidated.
It is possible to become infected with chlamydial conjunctivitis through water in in public places- when using public swimming pools and baths. Such conjunctivitis is even called “pool” conjunctivitis, “swimmer’s conjunctivitis” and they often take on the character of an epidemic: the concentration of chlorine in the water is not sufficient to inactivate chlamydia.
In medical practice, there are also cases of chlamydia infection of the eyes of persons in contact with patients with chlamydial conjunctivitis (usually newborns).
The cause of ophthalmochlamydia in newborns is mainly infection. Infection of a newborn with chlamydia is possible both by transplantation - in the womb of a mother suffering from chlamydia, and during childbirth - by passing through an infected birth canal. According to obstetricians-gynecologists of our medical center“Euromedprestige”, chlamydial lesions of the conjunctiva are observed in at least 5-10% of newly born children. At least 10% of children are infected with chlamydia, which can cause numerous inflammatory diseases(conjunctivitis, pneumonia, inflammation of the genitourinary organs...). Long years Neither the mother nor the child himself understands the cause of pain, weakness, frequent colds, and inflammation of the genital organs. They may remain in the dark until the child becomes an adult and is finally tested for STIs.
The figures presented here are very illustrative and once again confirm the need to PLAN a pregnancy. Expectant mothers and fathers must undergo a special examination for the presence of sexually transmitted infections and treat them if they exist before conception. After all, it’s no secret that treatment (treatment of chlamydia) already during pregnancy is not safe for the fetus, and infection of a newborn and its treatment is so early age jeopardizes his full development and health in the future.
Chlamydial eye infection in newborns is often aggravated by damage to other organs. The most common infection in newborns, along with chlamydial conjunctivitis, is chlamydial infection of the respiratory system, including chlamydial pneumonia. When the pathogen spreads through the nasolacrimal duct (canalicular spread), covered with epithelium sensitive to infection, chlamydia can cause diseases such as rhinitis, nasopharyngitis, eustachitis, acute otitis, as well as more severe damage to the respiratory system in newborns.
And these are just a few of the reasons why obstetricians, gynecologists and urologists at our Euromedprestige medical center emphasize the extreme importance and validity of pregnancy planning. In our center, we approach conscientious couples with the utmost care, respect and individuality, and not only full examination and diagnostics: a wide range of services for the preparation and management of pregnancy is also provided.
To summarize, we can talk about the following methods/routes of infection of the eyes with chlamydia: sexual, household, oral-genital contact, in the pool, intrauterine (transplacental) route, as well as during the passage of the fetus through the birth canal infected with chlamydia.
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Symptoms of chlamydia in the eyes
The chlamydial nature of eye infections is most often diagnosed as sluggish conjunctivitis or blepharitis (inflammation of the edge of the eyelids, which often has a chronic course). And this is not surprising: conjunctivitis caused by chlamydia does not manifest its chlamydial nature in any way, and only constant relapses (resumption) of the disease can tell the ophthalmologist the cause.
In most cases, chlamydial conjunctivitis - chlamydia of the eye - is asymptomatic. The manifestation of ophthalmochlamydia depends on many factors, such as: the duration of the infection in the body, the affected area, and the individual characteristics of orgasm reactions to infection.
Mostly, incubation period ophthalmochlamydia in adults lasts from 2 to 7 days, but can last up to a month. At the beginning, as a rule, the disease affects one eye, and within 2-6 days in a third of patients it spreads to the second. There is redness of the mucous membrane of the eye, some lacrimation, and moderate photophobia. In most patients, from 3-5 days preauricular adenopathy is determined on the affected side (disease of the lymph nodes located in front of the auricle), often painless, may be eustachitis (inflammation of the Eustachian (auditory) tube).
According to the course of chlamydia in the eyes, acute and chronic chlamydial inflammation is distinguished. The acute form of chlamydial conjunctivitis is characterized by severe swelling of the eyelids, copious mucopurulent discharge from conjunctival sac, swelling of the conjunctiva of both eyelids, damage to the cornea in the form of small swollen and large purulent areas of compacted tissue - foci of inflammation. In more than half of the cases, large follicles are found on the lower eyelid (in this case, there are small tubercles-follicles on the conjunctiva of the eye); in a third of patients, an increase (so-called hypertrophy) of the conjunctiva is detected upper eyelid and compaction of conjunctival tissue.
Mainly with ophthalmochlamydia, during the transition inflammatory process in the chronic stage, moderate swelling of the eyelids and thickening of the conjunctival tissue, light mucous discharge from the eye, and less often from the eyes, can be observed.
Manifestations of ophthalmochlamydia, which has become chronic, are now often atypical for conjunctivitis due to previous unjustified treatment. The use of antiviral, antibacterial and antiallergic drugs for the treatment of eye disease, the cause of which has not been clearly established, leads to partial persistence of chlamydial infection, which also changes the observed symptoms.
The result of ophthalmochlamydia (chlamydial conjunctivitis) can be twofold. Signs of scarring of the conjunctiva and cornea (with possible blindness), relapses of conjunctivitis may or may not occur.
Who is at risk of contracting chlamydia in the eyes?
- Sexually active people- men and women of any age suffering from chronic or recurrent conjunctivitis;
- Patients, men and women, with urogenital (genitourinary) chlamydia or ophthalmochlamydia;
- Their sexual partners;
- Family members (including children) of patients with sexual chlamydia or chlamydial conjunctivitis;
- Patients with conjunctivitis in acute stage, especially if only one eye is affected;
- Patients with a recurrent form of conjunctivitis who are not helped by the therapy usually prescribed for conjunctivitis;
- Patients with chronic or recurrent conjunctivitis who often visit public swimming pools, baths, saunas;
- Newborns of mothers suffering from chlamydia.
Diagnosis of ocular chlamydia
Currently, according to many researchers, the most common site of non-sexual chlamydia is the eyes. Therefore, the problem is especially relevant at present optimal methods diagnosis of ophthalmochlamydia.
Diagnosis of chlamydial conjunctivitis is based both on the visual identification of signs of changes in the eye mucosa by the doctor, and on special laboratory methods research.
Many practicing doctors and researchers especially note that a combination of several methods is recommended for an accurate diagnosis laboratory diagnostics.
Currently, the following three groups of methods for laboratory diagnosis of ophthalmochlamydia are recognized as the most optimal:
- Determination of chlamydia in material from the eye - in a scraping. To analyze the material, the cytological method, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are used;
- Isolation of chlamydia in cell culture (McCoy medium is recommended as a medium). The culture method for determining ocular chlamydia is currently considered the reference method;
- Serological tests.
The material for analysis, scraping, is taken from the upper and lower eyelids, after local anesthesia, using disposable probes designed specifically for this purpose.
The most common primary method for diagnosing ophthalmochlamydia is the cytological (in other words, cellular) method. It is used to detect the presence of foreign inclusions in the cells of the conjunctiva. This is one of the simplest methods, but its results greatly depend on vocational training, actions and attentiveness of the laboratory assistant. Its second disadvantage is that after the analysis we can only speak unambiguously about the presence or absence of foreign inclusions in the cell (in particular, chlamydia). But it is not always possible to determine the presence of chlamydia.
Direct immunofluorescence is a method with high reliability and specificity. During the study, scrapings from the conjunctiva of the eye are stained with genus-specific (common to all types of chlamydia) antibodies.
The most expensive and labor-intensive method is the cultural method: when using it, the time spent cultivating chlamydia ranges from 48 to 52 hours. However, it allows you to obtain the clearest results, even with minimal presence of microorganisms in the scraping. This is the main advantage of the method, not only in ophthalmology.
The polymerase method is also used chain reaction(PCR) is the so-called DNA diagnostic method. This method makes it possible to determine in the material the presence of a DNA sequence region characteristic of chlamydia.
Serological methods in ophthalmology are of secondary importance.
Accurate diagnosis of ocular chlamydia is not important for the doctor - it is important for the patient to prescribe the correct and targeted treatment, directed specifically against chlamydia. Proper treatment of chlamydia prevents the infection from passing into a persistent (latent) form, as well as relapses (renewal of the disease), complications of the disease and further spread of chlamydia infection in the body.
Treatment of chlamydia in the eyes
The compulsory medical insurance (compulsory health insurance) system, under which you are served at the clinic, does not provide for payment for a “chlamydia test” for eye inflammation, and many ophthalmologists in these medical institutions are not qualified enough to assume possible availability chlamydia. That is why in most cases, after examination and visual determination of inflammation, the doctor, without understanding its causes, prescribes topical antibiotics. The ineffectiveness of this type of treatment for ocular chlamydia is that chlamydia may be insensitive to some antibiotics. As a result of inappropriate treatment, patients acquire chronic chlamydial infection of the eyes, which tends to spread to other organs and systems.
It becomes clear why timely, adequate and effective drug therapy for ocular chlamydia is so necessary; timely treatment Chlamydia is effectively cured with antibiotics.
But for effective treatment It is not enough to establish the cause - the causative agent of conjunctivitis, it is important to find out its sensitivity to antibiotics: after all, if conjunctivitis was previously treated with antibacterial agents, chlamydia, having survived, was able to develop “immunity” to it. Treatment of chlamydia will be ineffective.
Tetracycline antibiotics, macrolides and fluoroquinolones have etiotropic effects. The choice of a specific antibiotic is made by the doctor individually in each specific case, taking into account not only the presence of the disease, but also the characteristics of the patient, the presence of other diseases or pregnancy, and many other factors. Therefore, doctors do not recommend self-medication (only treatment of chlamydia under the supervision of a doctor!), combined with a thoughtless enthusiasm for antibiotics: chlamydia can persist, and in the future it will be much more difficult to diagnose and treat them. In addition, you put a lot of strain on the liver and provoke the development of dysbiosis not only in the intestines, but also in the woman’s vagina, opening a direct path to other infections.
Dose of antibiotics for internal use and the duration of treatment (treatment of chlamydia) is determined depending on the severity of the disease. Topical eye drops and antihistamines are prescribed. The doctor also selects drops individually, focusing, among other things, on possible concomitant infections.
Treatment of ocular chlamydia continues for quite a long time - sometimes at least 21 days, in order to exceed several cycles of chlamydia development (only at a certain stage of its development is chlamydia sensitive to a specific antibiotic).
At the end of treatment, control tests are carried out laboratory research. It is advisable that at least two cross methods. It is very important to undergo high-quality treatment for Chlamydia - dangerous disease, in which you should not self-medicate under any circumstances!
As a summary of the article, below are the forms of eye damage from chlamydia:
- Trachoma;
- Paratrachoma in adults;
- Basin conjunctivitis;
- Chlamydial uveitis;
- Conjunctivitis with Reiter's syndrome;
- Paratrachoma of newborns;
- Chlamydial conjunctivitis of zoonotic nature.
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