Keratoconjunctivitis

Keratoconjunctivitis describes inflammation that affects both the conjunctiva and the cornea, the eye’s clear front window. This category organizes common drop types used for dryness, allergy flares, and infectious irritation, with US delivery from Canada. Shoppers can compare prescription and OTC options by brand, bottle type, preservative status, and dosing schedule, while noting that stock and strengths can vary.
The conjunctiva is the thin lining over the white of the eye and eyelids, and the cornea is the clear dome that focuses light. When either area becomes inflamed, symptoms can overlap and feel confusing. This page helps compare options that target tear-film inflammation, allergy pathways, and suspected infection, plus related condition guides for better next steps.
What’s in This Category
This category groups eye-drop options often used when both the surface lining and cornea feel involved. It includes lubricants for tear support, anti-inflammatory drops for immune-driven irritation, and anti-infectives when clinicians suspect bacteria. It also includes allergy drops that calm histamine-driven itching and swelling.
Common keratoconjunctivitis symptoms include burning, gritty sensation, tearing, light sensitivity, redness, and fluctuating vision. Some people notice stringy discharge with allergies, while others report a “sand in the eye” feeling with dryness. Severe pain, marked light sensitivity, or a sudden drop in vision needs urgent evaluation, since corneal involvement can worsen quickly.
Product types in this category often fall into a few practical groups. Lubricants can be preserved multi-dose bottles or preservative-free single-use vials. Anti-inflammatory prescriptions may include immunomodulators and corticosteroids, which reduce inflammation but require careful use. Anti-infective drops may include antibiotics, sometimes paired with a steroid in select cases.

Lubricants and gels for surface hydration and comfort support.
Immunomodulators for chronic inflammatory dry eye patterns.
Corticosteroids for short, supervised control of significant inflammation.
Allergy drops for itching and seasonal or perennial triggers.
Antibiotics when bacterial infection is suspected by an eye clinician.

How to Choose Keratoconjunctivitis eye drops
Start by matching the likely driver of surface inflammation. Dry-eye patterns often relate to tear-film instability and gland function, while allergy patterns center on itching and recurrent swelling. Infection patterns more often include contagious exposure risks, sticky discharge, or rapid spread between eyes. Keratoconjunctivitis causes can be inflammatory, allergic, infectious, medication-related, or linked to eyelid disease.
Next, compare form and handling details that affect daily use. Preservative-free drops can suit frequent dosing and sensitive eyes. Ointments and gels can blur vision but last longer for nighttime comfort. Some prescriptions require consistent twice-daily use for weeks before full benefit appears, and storage directions can differ by product and country labeling.
The table below offers a simple way to compare goals with drop classes. It helps narrow choices before reviewing specific products. Final selection should align with a clinician’s exam findings and safety plan.

Primary goal
Common class
Notes for comparison

Reduce chronic surface inflammation
Immunomodulator
Often slower onset; consistent dosing matters.

Control a short flare
Corticosteroid
Needs monitoring for pressure and infection risk.

Relieve itching and allergic redness
Antihistamine/mast-cell stabilizer
Often once or twice daily; good for seasonal triggers.

Treat suspected bacterial infection
Antibiotic
Use matters; avoid sharing drops between people.

Common selection mistakes can undermine results or safety. These quick checks help avoid preventable problems.

Mixing many preserved drops frequently, which can sting and irritate.
Stopping anti-inflammatory therapy too early, before steady improvement.
Using old antibiotic drops “just in case,” without an exam.

Popular Options
This category includes several well-known prescription therapies for inflammatory dry eye patterns. Restasis and Xiidra are commonly discussed for chronic dryness with burning and fluctuating vision. Both aim to reduce surface inflammation, but dosing experience and tolerability can differ between people.
For those comparing cyclosporine eye drops, product differences often include concentration, vehicle, and comfort on instillation. Some people prefer an emulsion feel, while others do better with a different formulation. The explainer cyclosporine comparisons for dry eye can help frame options by mechanism and practical use.
Allergy-driven flares often respond to targeted antihistamine or mast-cell stabilizing drops. Options like allergy antihistamine eye drops may help when itching and swelling dominate. When inflammation is more intense, a clinician may consider a steroid such as loteprednol steroid drops for short-term control, with monitoring.
When infection is suspected, treatment choices depend on exam findings and risk factors. An antibiotic option like moxifloxacin ophthalmic drops may be used for bacterial coverage in appropriate cases. Combination steroid-antibiotic products require extra care because steroids can worsen certain infections or delay healing.
Related Conditions & Uses
Many shoppers land here after reading about dry eye or pink eye. The guide to Dry Eye Syndrome covers tear-film instability and inflammation, which often overlap with surface keratitis. The overview for Conjunctivitis helps clarify when inflammation stays mainly on the conjunctiva.
Keratoconjunctivitis vs conjunctivitis often comes down to corneal involvement and symptom severity. Corneal findings can increase pain, light sensitivity, and blurred vision. Clinicians may use fluorescein staining and slit-lamp exam to assess the cornea and confirm the pattern. For background on corneal inflammation, the condition page for Keratitis explains common triggers and warning signs.
Infectious patterns can be viral, bacterial, or mixed with inflammation. Viral keratoconjunctivitis is frequently linked to adenovirus exposure in community outbreaks. Helpful context appears in the article viral vs bacterial conjunctivitis guide, which compares discharge patterns and expected course. Hygiene steps matter because some viral forms spread easily in families, schools, and clinics.
Surface disease can also connect with eyelid inflammation and gland dysfunction. Blepharitis and meibomian gland issues can destabilize tears and trigger recurring irritation. The page on Blepharitis reviews lid-margin inflammation that often coexists with dry eye complaints.
Authoritative Sources
For clinical definitions and safety guidance, these references support discussions about keratoconjunctivitis diagnosis and treatment classes. They also outline when evaluation is urgent, especially with corneal pain or vision changes.

CDC conjunctivitis overview and prevention basics for contagious cases
American Academy of Ophthalmology dry eye overview and care principles
FDA drug information hub for labeling and safe use

This content is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.