Disease of the organs of vision, in which the mucous membrane is affected by chlamydia, is called chlamydia of the eyes. This disease is infectious in nature and is accompanied by many problems, including swelling, redness, rashes.
The main danger of the disease is late symptoms. When a person is diagnosed with ocular chlamydia, doctors are faced with treatment for an already complicated stage, which, although it is possible, will take a long time. Treatment is aggravated by possible complications that have arisen 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, one third of all conjunctivitis is ocular chlamydia. Very often, such a disease appears against the background of an already existing conjunctivitis in the presence of an infection.
Forms of the course 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;
- Maybolitis - infection occurs through animals;
- Reiter's syndrome - an infection develops in the joints, after which it spreads to the eyes;
- Blepharitis is an inflammation of the edge of the eyelid.
Almost every form of the disease is characterized by the appearance of small vesicles prone to scarring.
The causes of chlamydial conjunctivitis
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection, so it is easy to guess that it is possible to catch chlamydia specifically in this way. An adult, already having a 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 the infection will enter the conjunctival sac.
In addition, contact infection 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 manifests itself.
Another reason for the development and appearance of the disease is contamination through water if a person visits a public pool or uses contaminated water in institutions. Even when cleaning swimming pools with a chlorine solution, this is not enough to fight infection.
Newborn children are born with the disease chlamydial conjunctivitis due to the fact that the pregnant mother already had this infection in the body during gestation. The child can become infected dangerous illness through infected birth canal... Possible complications, such as pneumonia, make it difficult to treat the baby.
Symptoms of eye chlamydia
From the moment of infection until the first symptoms of infection appear, 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.
The symptoms of eye chlamydia are different, but the most common are:
- redness of the eyes - manifests itself at an early stage of the disease. This symptom inherent in many eye diseases, therefore, nonspecific;
- pain and discomfort in the eye area in the form of burning and cutting;
- fear of light - painful reaction to light occurs individually;
- the feeling of the presence 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 progression of the disease and, without proper treatment, leads to blindness;
- turbidity of the image - in the eyes there is a fuzziness and blur of the visible picture;
- the presence of follicles is the main symptom of eye chlamydia. Bubbles are located on inside century.
Each patient has chlamydial conjunctivitis proceeds differently due to the individual characteristics of the organism.
Diagnostics
As methods for detecting bacteria, the doctor conducts an ophthalmological examination, laboratory tests are performed, and the patient is sent for consultation to related specialists.
Most exact result gives a blood test and scraping from the conjunctiva. When an infection is detected, the doctor prescribes drugs aimed at eliminating chlamydia and relieving the symptoms of the disease.
Ways to combat chlamydial conjunctivitis
Modern drugs help to completely cure an infectious disease. In particular, doctors prescribe etiotropic antibiotics, eye drops with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Chlamydial conjunctivitis is treatable with tetracycline ointment.
When appointing medicines the doctor should 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 timing of treatment depends on the degree of damage to the disease. Often, therapy takes up to 4 weeks, but it also happens that medication lasts six months... It is possible to destroy chlamydia only at a certain stage of their life cycle.
Chlamydia of the eyes is treated with drugs such as Levofloxacin, Azithromycin, Vibramycin. Antibiotics do an excellent job of killing bacteria without leaving them a chance to develop. Along with antibiotics, the doctor prescribes drugs that prevent the side effects of these drugs.
Antiallergic drugs and agents are prescribed to maintain and improve the intestinal microflora. After the end of the course of taking the pills, the patient is sent for repeated tests to make sure that there is no infection. Chlamydial conjunctivitis can be completely cured if detected early.
For prevention, it will be enough to monitor hand hygiene, do not use other people's cosmetics and strengthen the immune system.
- infectious lesion of the mucous membrane of the eyes with chlamydia, accompanied by acute or chronic inflammation conjunctiva. Chlamydial conjunctivitis proceeds with edema of the conjunctiva and transitional folds, purulent discharge from the eyes, lacrimation, cramps in the eyes, follicular rashes on the lower eyelid, parotid adenopathy, symptoms of eustachitis. Diagnosis of chlamydial conjunctivitis consists in carrying out biomicroscopy, cytological, cultural, enzyme immunoassay, immunofluorescence, PCR studies to determine chlamydia. Chlamydial conjunctivitis is treated with tetracycline antibiotics, macrolides and fluoroquinolones until complete clinical and laboratory recovery.
General information
Chlamydial conjunctivitis (ophthalmochlamydia, chlamydia of the eyes) is 3-30% of the number of conjunctivitis different etiology... Chlamydia of the eyes is more common in persons aged 20-30 years, while women develop chlamydial conjunctivitis 2 to 3 times more often than men. Chlamydial conjunctivitis occurs mainly against the background of urogenital chlamydia (urethritis, colpitis, cervicitis), which can proceed in an erased form and not disturb the patient. Therefore, chlamydial infections are included in the scope of attention of ophthalmology, venereology, urology, gynecology.
The causes of chlamydial conjunctivitis
Different antigenic serotypes of chlamydia cause various defeats: for example, serotypes A, B, Ba and C lead to the development of trachoma; serotypes D - K - to the occurrence of paratrachoma in adults, 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, the carrier of genitourinary chlamydia can infect not only his organ of vision, but also the eyes of his healthy partner. Chlamydial conjunctivitis is often the result of oral-genital intercourse 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 can accompany the course of an autoimmune disease - Reiter's syndrome, however, the pathogenesis of ophthalmochlamydia in this pathology is not fully understood.
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 to mothers suffering from chlamydia.
Classification of forms of chlamydial conjunctivitis
Chlamydial conjunctivitis symptoms
Clinical manifestations of chlamydial conjunctivitis develop after the incubation period (5-14 days). As a rule, one eye is affected first, bilateral infection occurs 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 variant.
In a chronic course, there are sluggish, often recurrent blepharitis or conjunctivitis with moderately pronounced symptoms: slight edema 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, tearing in the eyes, abundant separation of mucopurulent or purulent secretions from the eyes that stick together the eyelids. Pathognomonic development on the side of the lesion of painless regional preauricular adenopathy, as well as eustachitis, characterized by pain and noise in the ear, hearing loss.
Visual examination of the eyes on the conjunctiva reveals multiple follicles, delicate fibrinous films, which, as a rule, dissolve without scarring. Acute phase chlamydial conjunctivitis lasts from 2 weeks to 3 months.
In newborns and young children, in addition to pronounced eye symptoms, chlamydial pneumonia, nasopharyngitis, rhinitis, acute otitis media, and eustachitis often develop. There are frequent complications in the form of stenosis of the nasolacrimal tract, scarring of the conjunctiva.
Eye damage in Reiter's syndrome can occur in the form of chlamydial conjunctivitis, keratitis, iridocyclitis, choroiditis, retinitis.
Diagnostics of the chlamydial conjunctivitis
Diagnostic tactics for suspected chlamydial conjunctivitis include ophthalmological examination, laboratory analyzes, consultations of related specialists (venereologist, gynecologist, urologist, rheumatologist, otolaryngologist).
The leading role in confirming the diagnosis of chlamydial conjunctivitis belongs to laboratory studies. The optimal combination is different methods isolation of chlamydia in scraping from the conjunctiva (cytological, immunofluorescent, culture, PCR) and antibodies in the blood (ELISA). If necessary, patients are prescribed an examination for urogenital chlamydia.
Chlamydia of the eyes must be differentiated from bacterial and adenoviral conjunctivitis.
Chlamydial conjunctivitis treatment
The drugs of etiotropic action in chlamydial conjunctivitis are antibiotics: fluoroquinolones, macrolides, tetracyclines. Local therapy includes instillations of antibacterial eye drops (solution ofloxacin, solution of ciprofloxacin), ointment applications for the eyelids (tetracycline ointment, erythromycin ointment), the use of anti-inflammatory drops (solution of indomethacin, solution of dexamethasone).
Systemic treatment of chlamydia is carried out according to the STI therapy regimen. The criteria for the cure of chlamydial conjunctivitis are: regression clinical symptoms, negative data from laboratory tests carried out 2-4 weeks after the end of the course of treatment and three subsequent tests taken at an interval of one month.
Prediction and prevention of chlamydial conjunctivitis
The consequences of the transferred chlamydial conjunctivitis can be different. With rational therapy, the disease usually ends with a complete recovery. Quite often, chlamydial conjunctivitis acquires a recurrent course.
The outcome of recurrent forms of ophthalmochlamidiosis can be scarring of the conjunctiva and cornea of the eyes, leading to a decrease in vision.
Prevention of chlamydial conjunctivitis requires timely detection and treatment of urogenital chlamydia in adults (including pregnant women), the use of individual hygiene items in the family, eye protection with glasses when swimming in the pool, and the use of protective equipment by medical personnel.
Chlamydial conjunctivitis (ophthalmochlamydia) develops as a result of damage to the mucous membrane of the eyes by chlamydia. The inflammatory process can be acute or chronic. The disease occurs mainly in individuals young age, 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 provoked by chlamydia. Therefore, gynecologists, urologists and venereologists often have to be involved in the treatment of chlamydial conjunctivitis. Infection during pregnancy is especially dangerous: it can cause complications and infection of the baby during childbirth.
Chlamydia trachomatis
The causative agent of ophthalmochlamidiosis is Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydiae can form L-forms and long time be in an inactive state. At the same time, the sick person does not even know about the carrier and continues to infect others. Under the influence of unfavorable factors, intracellular microorganisms are activated and cause inflammation genitourinary organs or the mucous membrane of the eyes with the appearance of characteristic signs.
The following provoking factors can cause chlamydial damage to the conjunctiva:
- non-observance of the rules of personal hygiene, penetration into chlamydia from the human genitourinary tract (with the urogenital form of chlamydia);
- visiting public pools and baths, where you can get infected with chlamydia;
- Reiter's syndrome, which is accompanied by rheumatic lesions not only joints, but also causes inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes and the urogenital tract.
Chlamydial conjunctivitis treatment
For symptoms of chlamydial conjunctivitis, tetracycline antibiotics are prescribed, as well as fluoroquinolones and macrolides. Antibacterial agents can be prescribed in the form of drops and ointments or drugs of systemic action (in tablets and injections). With a mild course of the disease, specialists usually limit themselves to the use of local drugs, 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. It is recommended to lay (tetracycline, erythromycin) in both eyes at night. Treatment should be primarily directed at the cause of the disease - urogenital chlamydia. If it is found, long-term antibiotic therapy is carried out, and local preparations are prescribed for treating the genitals.
Only a doctor knows how to treat inflammation of the conjunctiva in a particular patient. A specialist can choose 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 pass repeated tests for urogenital chlamydia - 3 times, the interval between studies is 1 month.
Treatment with folk remedies
As auxiliary methods of treatment of ophthalmochlamydia, you can use anti-inflammatory infusions and decoctions of herbs. 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 infusion for the conjunctival cavity pharmacy chamomile, linden blossom, calendula, oak bark. It is not recommended to use a decoction of tea, because it is ineffective for chlamydia. cannot replace traditional therapy - chlamydia must be fought with strong antibiotics. Sometimes it is even necessary to carry out several courses (with 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 in the form. Throughout the entire period of treatment, you need to visit an ophthalmologist. If the symptoms of inflammation intensify, the disease often recurs, which means that an ineffective choice of medication has been made. It is worth picking up more effective means that can fight an old infection. Otherwise, under the influence of chlamydia, it will begin to scar, which will lead to a decrease in vision and the need for surgical interventions.
Prophylaxis
With timely treatment started, the prognosis is favorable. Chlamydia can be destroyed, which is necessarily confirmed by the results of laboratory tests. Prevention consists in the early initiation of antibiotic therapy when urogenital chlamydia is detected. This disease is prone to a chronic course, and every month it picks up effective therapy it's getting harder and harder. Chlamydiae can cause prolonged inflammation of the genitourinary organs, lead to the formation of adhesions and regularly provoke an exacerbation of conjunctivitis.
Preventive measures:
- refusal from unprotected sexual intercourse, prevention of chlamydia from the genitals from entering the mucous membrane of the eyes;
- compliance with all rules of individual safety when visiting public pools and saunas, eye protection with glasses;
- 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 the doctor detects chlamydia, urgent treatment is required for both sexual partners. It is only a few months after receiving a series of satisfactory laboratory tests that conception can be planned.
Chlamydial conjunctivitis (or chlamydia of the eyes) is not at all a harmless disease in which the eyes simply itch and watery (it happens that it does not manifest itself at all). This pathology in most cases is a sign indicating a high likelihood of organ damage. genitourinary system... In newborns, the disease leads to severe pathologies. respiratory tract, liver, ENT organs. If the symptoms are ignored and conjunctivitis is left untreated, the process invades the cornea, causing visual disturbances.
Description of eye chlamydia
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 for the pathology found in medical sources are chlamydia of the eyes, ophthalmochlamydia, trachoma, paratrachoma, and oculogenital infection.
Features of 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 the smallest, 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.
- More often they get sick at the age of 20-30, which is explained by an active sex life during this period.
- Conjunctivitis of this type is often observed in children at puberty (13-15 years), which is associated with early start sexual activity.
- Minor girls, like adult women, are affected by the disease 2-3 times more often than men or boys.
- Chlamydia of the eye takes longer and more difficult to treat than other bacterial infections, because chlamydia often does not respond to many types of medications.
- The disease is often almost asymptomatic and quickly becomes chronic, causing serious complications.
- After recovery, the body's immunity to the disease is not formed, therefore, multiple re-infection is possible.
Is chlamydial conjunctivitis contagious?
Conjunctivitis caused by chlamydia is contagious because bacteria can 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.
The carrier of the disease can infect healthy person after a long period of time after the pathogen has settled in his body. This is due to the microbe's ability to create specific forms, capable of being inside cells for a long time in a "sleeping mode" and then being activated.
Reasons for the development of pathology and risk factors
The main cause of the onset of the disease is the penetration into the eyes of the pathogen transferred from the genitals during intimacy (sexual infection), as well as from the hands, personal belongings that have gotten infected discharge from a sick person (household route).
The activation of chlamydia can be provoked 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 investigated).
Who is at risk
More likely to be infected are:
- adults and adolescents 13 - 15 years old, leading an active sex life with a frequent change of partner;
- patients with urogenital chlamydial infection;
- family members or close team where the patient is with any type of chlamydia;
- newborns (if the mother is infected);
- persons with diagnosed chronic conjunctivitis of any type;
- people who often spend time in saunas, baths, swimming pools.
Symptoms of the disease
In 70% of cases, chlamydial eye infection proceeds without severe symptoms, sluggishly, so it is so difficult to diagnose and cure 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 most of the infected, one eye is initially affected, and after 2-6 days, 30% of them show signs of chlamydia in the second.
The symptomatology of acute and chronic eye infections is different.
Basic symptoms of pathology - table
| Symptoms | ||
| The form | Onset of the disease | Progression or re-development |
| Acute (in children and adults) |
| With the progression of the disease 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 (subsiding symptoms). During the period of exacerbation, the following are noted:
|
|
Diagnostics
Accurate diagnosis in case of suspicion of the development of oculogenital infection is necessary for the appointment of a full and correct therapy aimed specifically against chlamydia. Competent treatment prevent relapses (exacerbations of the disease), the transition of the disease into a latent sluggish form, the development of complications and the spread of pathogens in the body.
Diagnosis of eye 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 (performed under local anesthesia). For smear analysis use:
- Cytological method (cellular). It is the simplest and detects foreign microorganisms in the cells of the conjunctival tissue. However, its implementation does not allow us to accurately determine the type pathogenic bacteria that 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 in the test material a piece of DNA that is characteristic of chlamydia.
- Cultural method. It consists in the cultivation (cultivation) of bacteria in cell culture(as a rule, a special McCou 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 the scraping in very small quantities. A significant disadvantage is that it is the most expensive and time consuming method of diagnosis. Cultivation requires 2-3 days.
- Serologic tests (of secondary importance).
Differential diagnosis
By external signs, differentiate ophthalmochlamydiosis from bacterial infection the eye is very difficult because the main signs are similar. But an experienced specialist can distinguish a chlamydial bacterium infection from viral conjunctivitis based on a certain difference in symptoms.
The main signs infectious diseases eyes are similar to each other, therefore, without tests, determine the cause of the appearance of such unpleasant symptoms it can be difficult
Differences between chlamydial and viral conjunctivitis - table
| Symptoms | Conjunctivitis type | |
| Chlamydial | Viral | |
| Discharge from the eyes | mucopurulent and profuse | transparent and meager |
| The presence of follicles | formed | absent |
| Lachrymation | moderate | expressed |
| Reaction to light | moderate | strong photophobia |
| Other features | only one eye may be affected, especially early on | both eyes are affected |
| dependence on current ARVI and ARI is not traced | in most cases accompanied by acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections, influenza | |
How to treat chlamydial eye disease
The peculiarity of chlamydia is that it is difficult to treat, since not all antibacterial drugs able to destroy the pathogen. As a result of improperly prescribed therapy, infected patients receive a sluggish eye infection for a long time, in which microorganisms, along with the bloodstream, easily penetrate into other organs.
It is forbidden to independently prescribe medication to yourself. 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, therefore, the therapy of this pathology is difficult.
The main drugs that a doctor prescribes for a patient are:
- Antibiotics in tablet form. Of these, macrolides, fluoroquinols and tetracyclines with pronounced activity against chlamydia. The results obtained in practice confirm the high efficiency of the following drugs in the complex treatment of ophthalmochlamidiosis: Ciprolet, Xenaquin (Lomefloxacin), Sumamed (Azithromycin, Zitrolide).
- Antibiotics in the form of drops. They are used to destroy the pathogen in the tissues of the eye. Such drugs are widely used as: Pikloxidin, Okatsin, Vitabakt, Colbiocin, Tsipromed, Floxal.
- Antibiotics in the form of an ointment. They also help kill germs in the eye. Tetracycline, erythromycin ointments, Ofloxacin and Floxal are successfully used.
It should be borne in mind that Colbiocin and Vitabact often cause eye irritation and allergic reactions... In these cases, the drug is canceled by prescribing Cromohexal or Lekrolin. According to observations, patients best tolerate Tsipromed and Okatsin, 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 recent times experts try not to prescribe tetracycline due to multiple side effects and the development of bacteria to it high degree sustainability.
Before starting treatment with antibacterial agents, patients with a confirmed diagnosis of chlamydial conjunctivitis (and their sexual partners) are recommended to be screened for the presence of other sexually transmitted diseases, including syphilis and gonorrhea.
Treat local preparations both eyes follow, even if only one is affected.
Medicines used in the treatment, pictured
Local treatment with Sumamed is effective against the background of taking the same antibiotic inside 
Lefloxacin - popular eye drops for trachoma 
Antimicrobial drops Tsipromed are often used in the treatment of chlamydial conjunctivitis. 
Vitabakt is one of the most safe means for treatment bacterial conjunctivitis 
Okacin for chlamydial eye infection is highly effective 
Floxal - a local remedy for eye installations 
Erythromycin ointment is applied topically for eye chlamydia 
Azithromycin is an active antibiotic against chlamydia
Additionally, the doctor prescribes:
- With lesions of the cornea - eye gel Solcoseryl, Actovegin.
- With the suppression of the secretion of tears - Oftagel, Vidisik.
- In the case of a persistent course and active development of follicular manifestations - physiotherapy laser treatment.
- With severe swelling and severe irritation conjunctiva - installations of antiallergic drops: in acute period use Allergophthal, Olopatadin, Spersallerg (Antazolin and Tetrizolin), Ditadrin (Diphenhydramine and Naphazoline), in chronic - Alomil and Lekrolin.
- Inside - antihistamines(Desloratadin, Zodak, Suprastin, Tavegil).
- On the 7-8th day of treatment for severe inflammation and swelling - hormonal eye drops Dexapos (Dexamethasone), Maxidex in a short course.
Folk remedies
Treatment for conjunctivitis is entirely related to the underlying cause, and herbal medicine can only be used as an adjunct to basic medications prescribed by a doctor, as a means to reduce inflammation and swelling. But strong antibacterial activity necessary for the destruction of chlamydia, natural substances that are used in traditional medicine do not possess.
If the diagnosis of chlamydial infection has not yet been confirmed, and the eye pathology is caused gonococcal infection or Pseudomonas aeruginosa, drug treatment should be started immediately, rather than trying to apply recipes traditional medicine, since delay even for a day can lead to the loss of an eye.
Experts recommend using herbs and natural substances for topical application very carefully and before that they advise you to consult with an ophthalmologist, because folk remedies can reduce the effect of major medicinal preparations and provoke severe allergic reactions.
From healing "potions" homemade it is advisable to use only those intended for oral administration and have general antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and strengthening immune system properties.
Forbidden:
- apply bandages, as this "treatment" increases the risk of corneal inflammation;
- to make warm compresses, which create a "greenhouse effect", especially favorable for the activation of microorganisms;
- rinse the eyes with tea leaves, as tannins tighten the pores along the edges of the eyelids, "sealing" the remnants of purulent secretions;
- instill urine into the eyes (threat of corneal damage);
- wash up tap water as it will increase inflammation.
Some homemade recipes:
- Take equal amounts of chamomile, marshmallow and eyebright. Pour a tablespoon of dry collection with 250 ml of boiling water, hold on a low heat for 10 minutes. With a warm broth, gently rinse the eyes every hour until the inflammation relieves.
- Mix the juice of endive lettuce (1 part), carrots (4 parts), celery, parsley in 1 part 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 collection with 250 ml of boiling water, leave for 60–90 minutes. Drink 50 ml 4 times a day half an hour before meals.
- For eye irritation, dill juice is successfully used. Cotton soft tissue moistened in fresh dill juice and then applied to the eyelids for 30-40 minutes.
- Finely grate raw potatoes, mix with the egg white, squeeze a little and apply on the eyelids. Put a cloth soaked in hot water on the neck under the back of the head.
- If you are not allergic to honey, dilute it with warm boiled water in a 1: 2 ratio and use it as a lotion.
Medicinal herbs and natural products for eye chlamydia - photo gallery
Hop cones are used in collections for rinsing the eyes 
Honey dissolved in water is a good bactericidal agent 
Althea is good for 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 eye chlamydia 
Chamomile relieves inflammation and disinfects
Features of the disease in children, pregnant and lactating
Acute chlamydia of newborns is characterized by a peculiarity of symptoms. They appear 3-10 days after birth, most often in one eye. In this case, one can observe:
- profuse purulent discharge from the conjunctival cavity, often brown due to blood impurities;
- severe swelling and inflammation of the edges of the eyelids (blepharitis);
- bright hyperemia (redness), edema of the conjunctiva with enlarged papillae;
- "Sticking" of the eyelids after sleep and covering the ciliary margin with brownish crusts;
- the development of follicular nodules from 20-28 days of a child's life, if the process is not stopped by medications.
During treatment, inflammation subsides in 2-3 weeks.
If the child's disease is not diagnosed and not cured in time, it becomes chronic, giving exacerbations. At the same time, parents long time can't understand true reason permanent colds, increased fatigue child, inflammatory processes in the organs of the genitourinary system.
While awaiting confirmation of the diagnosis, doctors consider prophylactic use of erythromycin ointment to be justified.
Oral administration of Erythromycin is not recommended for newborns due to serious side effects the 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 effects (on the whole body).
In modern pediatrics, Azithromycin (Sumamed in suspension) is used, which is considered to be effective and less dangerous drug... From local funds use Vitabact, Pikloxidin, tetracycline and erythromycin ointments, Tsipromed, allowed for the treatment of children over 12 months old.
Oral use of tetracycline is contraindicated in patients under 12 years of age.
Chlamydia during pregnancy affects the health of the baby
Chlamydia of the eyes in pregnant women in most cases is a sign of the general damage to the body by this infection. Early miscarriages, developmental problems, impaired 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. Apply Azithromycin, Spiramycin, Josamycin, Amoxicillin.
Tetracycline, Erythromycin are prohibited during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Of the external drugs, a specialist may allow the use of Ofloxacil and Floxal, provided that the benefits of treatment exceed possible risks... The instructions for these funds say about the prohibition of their use during pregnancy and lactation, since no studies have been carried out. The same applies to Pikloxidin, Fucitalmik, 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, a 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 forecast is quite favorable. A complete cure can be expected 3–6 weeks after starting therapy.
In advanced cases, it is possible:
- development of keratitis (damage to the cornea), followed by its ulceration, violation 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;
- the transition of an acute form of the disease to a chronic one;
- deepening infectious process with its spread to other organs and the development of urogenital infection.
Chlamydia of the eye is usually understood as what doctors call ophthalmochlamydia, or chlamydial conjunctivitis. In fact, chlamydia of the eyes is any damage to the mucous membrane of the eyes by chlamydia. According to various researchers, chlamydial conjunctivitis makes up from 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 choroid)
- conjunctivitis with Reiter's syndrome
- chlamydial episcleritis (inflammation of the episclera, the connective tissue between the conjunctiva and the sclera)
- chlamydial meibolitis (inflammation of the meibolian glands of the eye) during the spread of chlamydia, "transmitted" to the owner by their animals (the so-called zoonotic chlamydia).
Often, chlamydia of the eyes, or ophthalmochlamydia, acts as a concomitant disease to the main chlamydia. The main one in conjunctivitis of a chlamydial nature is urogenital chlamydia - chlamydia of the genital organs. According to statistics, at least 50% of patients with ophthalmochlamydia have and 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 lesions of the respiratory system.
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Methods of infection and transmission of ophthalmochlamidiosis (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 toilet items (scarf, towel, etc.) contaminated with secretions. Moreover, the 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 eye infection can occur.
So, chlamydial eye infection often becomes the first indicator of the presence of asymptomatic genital chlamydia caused by Chlamydia trahomatis in a patient or his sexual partner.
Conjunctive eye lesions in children can also occur as a result of the accidental transfer of a chlamydial infection to the eye.
V medical practice Chlamydial conjunctivitis diseases are also found in obstetricians, gynecologists, urologists, andrologists and venereologists. Such ophthalmochlamydia occurs after examination of patients with urogenital 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 pools and saunas. Such conjunctivitis is even called "pool" conjunctivitis, "bather'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 infection with chlamydia of the eyes of persons in contact with patients with chlamydial conjunctivitis (more often newborns).
Ophthalmochlamydiosis in newborns is mainly caused by infection. Infection of a newborn with chlamydia is possible both by transplantation - in the womb of a mother with chlamydia, and during childbirth - when passing through an infected birth canal. According to obstetricians-gynecologists of our medical center"Euromedprestige", chlamydial lesion of the conjunctiva is 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 soreness, weakness, frequent colds, inflammation of the genitals. They can remain in the dark until the child becomes an adult and finally undergoes the examination for STIs.
The figures given here are very illustrative and once again confirm the need for PLANNING pregnancy. The expectant mother and father must undergo a special examination for the presence of sexually transmitted infections and treat those, if any, before conception. After all, it's not a secret for anyone that treatment (treatment of chlamydia) already during pregnancy is not safe for the fetus, and infection of the newborn and its treatment in such early age endangers its full development and health in the future.
Chlamydial eye infection in newborns is often aggravated by damage to other organs. The most common in newborns, along with chlamydial conjunctivitis, is chlamydial infection of the respiratory system, including chlamydial pneumonia. With the spread of the pathogen through the nasolacrimal duct (canalicular spread), covered with an epithelium that is sensitive to infection, chlamydia can cause diseases in newborns such as rhinitis, nasopharyngitis, eustachitis, acute otitis media, as well as more severe lesions of the respiratory system.
And these are just a few of the reasons why obstetricians, gynecologists and urologists of our medical center "Euromedprestige" emphasize the extreme importance and validity of pregnancy planning. In our center, the most attentive, respectful and individual approach to conscious couples, and conduct not only complete examination and diagnostics: the widest range of services for the preparation and management of pregnancy is also provided.
Summing up, we can talk about the following ways / routes of infection with chlamydia of the eyes: sexual, household, during oral-genital contacts, in the pool, intrauterine (transplacental) pathways, as well as during the passage of the fetus through the birth canal infected with chlamydia.
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Chlamydia eye symptoms
The chlamydial nature of the eye infection 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 (renewal) 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, the individual characteristics of the reactions of orgasm to the infection.
Mostly, incubation period ophthalmochlamydia in adults ranges from 2 to 7 days, but can last up to a month. In the beginning, as a rule, one eye is affected by the disease, and within 2-6 days in a third of patients it passes to the second. There is redness of the mucous membrane of the eye, some lacrimation, moderate photophobia. In most patients from 3-5 days, preauricular adenopathy on the affected side (disease of the lymph nodes located in front of auricle), often painless, there may be eustachitis (inflammation of the Eustachian (auditory) tube).
In the course of chlamydia, the eyes are distinguished between acute and chronic chlamydial inflammation. The acute form of chlamydial conjunctivitis is characterized by pronounced edema of the eyelids, abundant mucopurulent discharge from conjunctival sac, edema of the conjunctiva of both eyelids, damage to the cornea in the form of small edematous and large purulent areas of compacted tissue - foci of inflammation. In more than half of the cases, large follicles are found in 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 thickening of conjunctival tissues.
Basically, with ophthalmochlamydia, during the transition inflammatory process in the chronic stage, you can observe moderate swelling of the eyelids and thickening of the conjunctival tissue, light mucous discharge from the eye, less often the eye.
The manifestations of ophthalmochlamydia, which has turned into a chronic form, are now often atypical for conjunctivitis due to previous unreasonable treatment. The use of antiviral, antibacterial and antiallergic drugs for the treatment of eye diseases, the cause of which has not been unambiguously established, leads to a partial persistence of chlamydial infection, which also changes the observed symptoms.
The result of the transferred 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 eye chlamydia
- 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 genital chlamydia or chlamydial conjunctivitis;
- Patients with conjunctivitis 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 pools, baths, saunas;
- Newborns of mothers suffering from chlamydia.
Diagnostics of the eye chlamydia
Currently, according to many researchers, the most common focus of asexual chlamydia is the eyes. Therefore, the problem is especially urgent at the present time. best practices diagnostics of ophthalmochlamidiosis.
Diagnosis of chlamydial conjunctivitis is based both on the visual identification of signs of changes in the mucous membrane of the eye by the doctor, and on special laboratory methods research.
Many practitioners 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 ophthalmochlamydiosis are recognized as the most optimal:
- Determination of chlamydia in material from the eye - in scraping. To analyze the material, the cytological method, enzyme immunoassay (ELISA), immunofluorescent, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are used;
- Isolation of chlamydia in cell culture (McCow medium is recommended as a medium). The culture method for determining ocular chlamydia is currently considered the reference;
- Serological tests.
Material for analysis, scraping, is taken from the upper and lower eyelids, after local anesthesia, using disposable probes intended for these purposes
The most common primary method for diagnosing ophthalmochlamydiosis is the cytological (in other words, cellular) method. With its help, the presence of foreign inclusions in the cells of the conjunctiva is revealed. This is one of the simplest methods, but its results are highly dependent on vocational training, actions and care of a laboratory assistant. Its second drawback is that after the analysis, one can definitely only talk 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. In the process of research, scrapings from the conjunctiva of the eye are stained with genus-specific (common to all types of chlamydia) antibodies.
The most expensive and labor-consuming method is the cultural method: when using it, the time spent for the cultivation of chlamydia ranges from 48 to 52 hours. However, it allows you to get the clearest results, even with the minimum 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) - the so-called method of DNA diagnostics. This method makes it possible to determine in the material the presence of a DNA sequence region that is characteristic of chlamydia.
Serological methods in ophthalmology are of secondary importance.
Accurate diagnosis of eye chlamydia is not important for the doctor - it is important for the patient to prescribe the correct and targeted treatment directed against chlamydia. Correct treatment of chlamydia prevents the infection from becoming persistent (latent), as well as relapses (recurrence of the disease), complications of the disease and further spread of chlamydial infection in the body.
Treatment of chlamydia a eye
The system of compulsory medical insurance (compulsory health insurance), for which you are served in a polyclinic, does not provide for payment for "analysis for chlamydia" in case of 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 antibiotics locally. The ineffectiveness of this kind of treatment for eye chlamydia is that chlamydia may be insensitive to some antibiotics. As a result of untreated treatment, patients acquire a chronic chlamydial eye infection, which tends to spread to other organs and systems.
It becomes clear why timely, adequate and effective drug therapy of eye 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, were able to develop "immunity" to it. Chlamydia treatment will be ineffective.
Antibiotics of the tetracycline series, macrolides and fluoroquinolones have an etiotropic effect. The choice of a specific antibiotic is made by the doctor individually in each case, taking into account not only the presence of the fact 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 hobby for antibiotics: chlamydia can persist, and in the future it will be much more difficult to diagnose and cure them. In addition, you put a lot of stress on the liver and provoke the development of dysbiosis not only in the intestines, but in women - and in the vagina, opening a direct path for other infections.
Dose of antibiotics for internal use and the duration of treatment (treatment for chlamydia) is determined depending on the severity of the disease. Both topical eye drops and antihistamines are prescribed. Drops are also selected by the doctor individually, focusing, among other things, on possible concomitant infections.
Treatment of chlamydia of the eyes lasts a long enough time - sometimes at least 21 days to exceed several cycles of chlamydia development (only at a certain stage of its development, chlamydia is sensitive to a certain antibiotic).
At the end of the treatment, control laboratory research... It is desirable that at least two are used to confirm recovery. cross methods... It is very important to undergo quality treatment for Chlamydia - dangerous disease, in which it is impossible in any case to self-medicate!
As a result of the article, below are the forms of eye lesions by chlamydia:
- Trachoma;
- Paratrachoma in adults;
- Basin conjunctivitis;
- Chlamydial uveitis;
- Conjunctivitis with Reiter's syndrome;
- Paratrachoma of newborns;
- Chlamydial conjunctivitis of a zoonotic nature.
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