Disclosed are methods of treating a wound in a subject that involve administering to the subject a pharmaceutically effective amount of a composition that includes one or more human connective tissue mast cell stabilizers, wherein administration of the composition results in treatment of the wound. In particular embodiments, the wound is an ophthalmic or dermal wound, such as a corneal epithelial defect, a conjunctival wound, or dermal abrasion. Administration, for example, may be by topical application of the composition to the ocular surface or skin. Exemplary mast cell stabilizers include olopatadine, variants of olopatadine, alcaftidine, derivatives of alcaftidine, dihydropyridines, and spleen tyrosine kinase inhibitors.