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Conjunctivitis - allergic - Management
How should I manage someone with contact dermatoconjunctivitis?

  • Before treating a person with a red eye for contact dermatoconjunctivitis, you must exclude the serious causes of a red eye that can result in permanent visual impairment. For further information, see Diagnosing allergic conjunctivitis.
    • Advise people to:
      • Remove contact lenses, if they are worn, until symptoms and signs resolve.
      • Avoid rubbing their eyes.
      • Place cool compresses on the affected eyes to ease symptoms.
      • Avoid exposure to the identified allergen. When caused by cosmetics, symptoms should be allowed to resolve completely before trying an alternative product.
    • When contact dermatoconjunctivitis is due to eye drops, seek specialist advice as to an appropriate alternative, when continued treatment is necessary.
    • When contact dermatoconjunctivitis is severe, refer for same-day assessment and further management by a specialist.
Clarification / Additional information
  • Referral for people with severe contact dermatoconjunctivitis is recommended for confirmation of the diagnosis and further management with topical corticosteroids. Preservative-free eye drops may be recommended where appropriate.
Basis for recommendation
  • Antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers are not recommended for the treatment of contact dermatoconjunctivitis because they have no effect in controlling inflammation in type IV hypersensitivity reactions [Yanoff and Duker, 2004].

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