Watch out if you’re constantly scratching your eyes! This disease triggers

Specialist in corneal and refractive surgery Assoc. Dr. Volkan Hürmeriç said that allergic diseases, which are common with the arrival of spring, negatively affect eye health. associate dr. Expressing that eye allergy, which can cause complaints such as burning, tearing, itching and redness, especially in the eyes, reduces the quality of daily life. lead to an eye disease called keratoconus. Especially in children with allergies and left untreated, a long-term eye scratching habit can develop. In addition to genetic factors during childhood and adolescence, constant scratching of the eyes poses a high risk.

‘NO STANDARD TREATMENT’

Note that, especially if children have trouble opening their eyes in the sun or in bright environments, or if they scratch their eyes a lot, Assoc. Dr Hürmeriç said: “With such findings, it is necessary to perform an eye examination. Complaints such as burning, itching and photosensitivity increase in seasons when pollen levels increase. Allergic diseases generally increase in the months of May, June and July when the weather starts to warm up and in September, October and November when it starts to cool down. It is important that patients with allergies are treated on the advice of a doctor.

‘EYE BROW IS THE MAIN REASON’

Emphasizing that it is very important not to scratch the eyes in allergic diseases, Assoc. Dr Hürmeriç said: “Keratoconus is characterized by thinning of the corneal tissue in the outer part of the eye. Because keratoconus disease progresses slowly, it can lead to vision loss if detected late. Although it may seem insignificant , all ophthalmologists in the world are trying to raise awareness about the dangers of scratching because of the risks it poses When young people start wearing glasses for the first time or when a child who wears glasses is said to have laziness in develops the eyes, it is imperative to look for keratoconus. Keratoconus disease is revealed only with special eye tests. Diagnosis in a standard eye exam is only possible in advanced cases. We want to catch the disease at an early stage. That’s why do we have to do the tests we call corneal topography,” he said.

‘STARTS IN CHILDHOOD’

Assoc states that treatment for keratoconus disease is done based on the person’s age and visual findings. Dr Hürmeriç said: “The first step in keratoconus disease is to stop the progression of the disease. The risk of keratoconus progression decreases with age. The greatest risk is at a young age. Patients who start in childhood have a very aggressive course. Early diagnosis is very important in cases between the ages of 12 and 25, which we see more often. Especially when the disease of keratoconus is diagnosed under the age of 20, a cross-linking treatment, popularly called “radiation therapy”, should be applied, which will stop the disease.