Using Opatanol Eye Drops to treat Conjunctivitis

What is Opatanol?

Opatanol is a clear eye drop liquid that contains the active substance olopatadine. Your doctor may prescribe opantanol to treat symptoms such as seasonal allergic conjunctivitis caused by pollen that irritates the eye and triggers inflammation.

Many people that suffer from hay fever will experience itching, redness and swelling to the eyes when the thin layer of tissue that covers the front of the eye (conjunctiva) becomes inflamed. Opatanol will help counteract the symptoms but can only be obtained with a prescription.

Conjunctivitis is a common eye condition that can affect both eyes and will usually clear up in a couple of weeks, but the symptoms can be eased and treated by medications such as opatanol eye drops.

Different types of conjunctivitis

There are different kinds of conjunctivitis, each with its own symptoms. The most common ones being:

Bacterial conjunctivitis:

This is an infection caused by bacteria such as Staphylococci, Streptococci or Haemophilus. Both eyes can be affected and the eyes will have a sticky discharge that may cause your eyelids to stick together and form crusting on the eyelashes. Your eyes can feel gritty and sore.

Viral conjunctivitis:

This is caused by the adenovirus and can affect you when you catch a cold. You can suffer from red and watery eyes and your conjunctiva and eyelids can swell up. It is easy to spread to other family members, so it’s important to practice good hygiene by washing your hands and face regularly and not sharing face cloths or towels. You can feel unwell with viral conjunctivitis.

Allergic conjunctivitis:

This is a very common condition in people who suffer from other allergies, such as asthma, eczema and hay fever. It is often caused by pollen so is more often seen during the months of the year with a high pollen count. It can also be caused by other common allergens such as dust mites and cosmetics.

Most people with conjunctivitis will suffer common symptoms such as a gritty feeling and itching of the eyes, intermittent red eyes and some sort of discharge. While the condition is more common during the spring and summer, some people do suffer from allergic conjunctivitis all year round.

Treating conjunctivitis:

Your doctor may prescribe a lubricating or moisturising eye treatment such as opatanol eye drops that help to calm down the inflammation and soothe the conjunctiva. It will also help to identify what has triggered the allergic response so you can eliminate the cause.

However, an allergic reaction to pollen is a little more tricky to avoid, so your doctor may prescribe opatanol eye drops to help control your symptoms during the spring and summer when pollen counts are high.

In most cases, allergic conjunctivitis isn’t serious and will usually clear up in a couple of weeks, but if your symptoms are severe or don’t improve with medical treatment, then you must see your doctor.

If you wear contact lenses and develop conjunctivitis, you should refrain from wearing them until the condition has cleared. People who wear lenses can develop an eye infection that may need specialist treatment.

Opatanol contains benzalkonium chloride, which can cause some discolouration to soft contact lenses, so care should be taken when using opatanol and wearing contact lenses.

How do you use Opatanol?

• Opatanol is only available via prescription and is used to treat both adults and children over the age of three. The normal dose is one drop into each affected eye, twice per day. The doses should be given eight hours apart.
• If you are using any other eye medication, you should leave a gap of at least five minutes before administering opatantol. If your doctor has prescribed an eye ointment, this should be applied after using opatanol.
• Opatanol can be used safely for up to four months if needed, but you must follow your doctor’s instructions about how long to use the eye drops.

Opatanol active ingredients

• Opatanol eye drops contain an active ingredient called olopatadine, which is an antihistamine. The drops work by blocking the receptors in your eyes that react to histamine, a chemical that your body produces that causes your allergic symptoms.
• By blocking the histamine receptors, opatanol will help to decrease the allergic reaction and reduce inflammation to the conjunctiva.
• Opatanol is considered a safe and effective treatment for allergic conjunctivitis caused by hay fever and other common allergens. Opatanol was studied in controlled tests lasting up to 14 weeks using adults and children.
• The tests showed that opatanol was very effective for reducing the degree of itching and redness in the eye and was found to be as effective as cromolyn sodium and as levocabastine for treating conjunctivitis.
• Opatanol has been licensed for medical use in Europe since 2002.

Buying opatanol from Access Doctor

You can buy opatanol through Access Doctor by following our easy steps:

• Select Opatanol from our online chemist store
• Complete the FREE Online Health Consultation form
• Proceed to payment. We will only take payment if the prescribing doctor approves your consultation and issues a prescription
• Your consultation will be reviewed and approved by one of our doctors
• Our pharmacy team will prepare your prescription and dispatch it using our free next-day delivery service
• Access Doctor will perform various clinical checks to make sure that opatanol is the most suitable treatment for you. If we think there is a better alternative treatment option, we will advise you of this.
• We will also need to confirm your identity, residential address, and verify your age to ensure you are over the age of 18.