The Importance of Preventing and Managing Tear Dysfunction Syndrome in Allergic Conjunctivitis and How to Tackle This Problem.

Tear dysfunction syndrome, also known as dry eye disease (DED), is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface characterized by the loss of tear film homeostasis. DED shows a significant clinical overlap with ocular allergy (OA), which alters tear film homeostasis, thus predisposing the patient to DED. Both conditions constitute the most common ocular surface disorders and have a potentially severe impact on patients' quality of life. Clinical practice guidelines recommend topical therapies as first-line treatment for OA. However, eye drop formulations may contain additional substances that can contribute to ocular surface damage and the development of DED. Therefore, physicians treating ocular allergy should be aware of problems affecting the tear film, the role of tear film disruption in OA, and topical treatment to prevent or minimize DED. The aim of this review is to present an updated overview of the topic.

The Importance of Preventing and Managing Tear Dysfunction Syndrome in Allergic Conjunctivitis and How to Tackle This Problem

Tear dysfunction syndrome, also known as dry eye disease (DED), is a multifactorial disease of the ocular surface characterized by the loss of tear film homeostasis. DED shows a significant clinical overlap with ocular allergy (OA), which alters tear film homeostasis, thus predisposing the patient to DED. Both conditions constitute the most common ocular surface disorders and have a potentially severe impact on patients’ quality of life. Clinical practice guidelines recommend topical therapies as first-line treatment for OA. However, eye drop formulations may contain additional substances that can contribute to ocular surface damage and the development of DED. Therefore, physicians treating ocular allergy should be aware of problems affecting the tear film, the role of tear film disruption in OA, and topical treatment to prevent or minimize DED. The aim of this review is to present an updated overview of the topic. (AU)

El síndrome de disfunción lagrimal, también denominado enfermedad del ojo seco (EOS), es una enfermedad multifactorial de la superficie ocular caracterizada por la pérdida de la homeostasis de la película lagrimal. La EOS y la alergia ocular (AO) son patologías que comparten un abanico de signos y síntomas, y pueden aparecer simultáneamente; además, la AO altera la homeostasis de la película lagrimal, predisponiendo a la EOS. Estas dos afecciones constituyen los trastornos más frecuentes de la superficie ocular y pueden afectar notablemente la calidad de vida de los pacientes. Las guías de práctica clínica recomiendan terapias tópicas como tratamiento de primera línea para la alergia ocular. Sin embargo, las fórmulas de los colirios pueden contener aditivos y conservantes que pueden contribuir al daño de la superficie ocular y a la aparición de EOS. Por lo tanto, los facultativos que tratan la alergia ocular deben conocer las implicaciones que conlleva la alteración de la película lagrimal en la conjunctivitis alérgica, el potencial daño que pueden provocar los conservantes incluidos en los colirios empleados en el tratamiento tópico de esta patología, así como los tratamientos disponibles para manejar la EOS y la AO cuando la disfunción de la película lacrimal ya está establecida. El objetivo de esta revisión es presentar una visión general actualizada del tema. (AU)