Eye infections such as blepharitis, conjunctivitis, or
keratitis give rise to symptoms such as redness, swelling, discharge, pain, eye
fatigue, and itchiness. Different types of ophthalmic solutions and drugs are
used for treating infections and inflammatory conditions that affect the eyes.
These include artificial tears/gels, antihistamines, mast cell stabilisers,
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroid, antibiotic and antiviral
eye drops or ointments. Antibiotic ophthalmic solutions are basically
suspension of drugs that are used for treating bacterial infections. These
medicated ophthalmic solutions might even be used for preventing eye infections.
Antibiotic Drops
These are classified into broad-spectrum and narrow-spectrum.
While the former is effective against a wide range of bacteria, the latter is
used for killing a specific group of bacteria. These eye drops are basically
categorised into bacteriocidal, bacteriostatic and combination eye drops.
Bacteriocidal drops contain certain active compounds that have the ability to
kill bacteria. These are suspension of drugs that contain active compounds that
target essential chemical pathways, inner cell membrane, and outer cell wall
and interrupt the chemical processes that help these bacteria grow.
Many of these drops contain aminglycosides. These act against
certain types of bacteria. These are especially effective against pseudomonas.
This bacterium is generally responsible for the contamination of contact
lenses. Neomycin, tobramycin, amikacin, and gentamycin are all classified as
aminoglycosides.
The bacteriostatic drugs don't kill bacteria, but prevent
them from multiplying. Bacteriostatic drops are usually prescribed for the
treatment of conjunctivitis. Sometimes ophthalmic solutions might also contain
other drugs. These are referred to as combination eye drops. These are
generally used to treat emergency cases. This kind of treatment is based on the
principle of antibiotic synergism. Sometimes, the combined effect of different
types of drugs is more effective than using individual drugs. When the
bacterial strain hasn't been identified and the bacterium seems to be capable
of a great deal of harm, antibiotics and steroids are generally combined
together for the treatment. These can also help in prevention of the
development of resistant strains of bacteria. The ophthalmic solutions that are
commonly used for treating bacterial infections include ciprofloxacin,
erythromycin, ofloxacin, tobramycin, and monofloxacin.
Side effects of
antibiotic eye drops
Over-the-counter availability of ophthalmic solutions is
becoming a major cause of concern. It is always better to buy eye drops
prescribed by an ophthalmologist, as the prolonged use of these drops can lead
to the development of strains of bacteria that are resistant to these drugs.
Moreover, antibiotic eye drops must not be used for infections that are caused
by viruses, parasites, or exposure to allergens. Certain bacterial infections
need to be treated with the help of target-specific antibiotics. Using
broad-spectrum drugs might not help in treating such infections.
Sometimes, the use of these medicated ophthalmic solutions
could lead to redness, itchiness, severe stinging sensation, or blurred vision.
In such cases, discontinue using that particular eye drop/ointment and consult an ophthalmologist immediately.
You must use these medicated drops only under the supervision
of a doctor. Don't
self-medicate, as using medicated drops for a long period could lead to the
development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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