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Top : Eyes and Vision : Conjunctivitis

Learn About Conjunctivitis:

Conjunctivitis is one of the most common and treatable eye infections found among children and adults. This infection is often called "pink eye." It is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the tissue that lines the inside of the eyelid. This tissue helps keep the eyelid and eyeball moist.

Conjunctivitis can be spread through hand contact when rubbing the eyes or touching contact lenses after touching infected genitals. Washing hands thoroughly can help prevent the spread of this type of conjunctivitis. Being around a person who has conjunctivitis and wearing contact lenses may increase your risk of getting conjunctivitis, but the outcome is usually very good with treatment.

Causes of Conjunctivitis:

Conjunctivitis can be caused by a virus, bacteria, irritating substances (shampoos, dirt, smoke, and especially pool chlorine), substances that cause allergies, or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Pink eye caused by bacteria, viruses, and STDs can spread easily from person to person, but is not a serious health risk if diagnosed promptly.

Symptoms of Conjunctivitis:

Symptoms of Conjunctivitis or pink eye include:

• Redness in the white of the eye or inner eyelid
• Excessive amount of tears
• Thick yellow discharge that crusts over the eyelashes, especially after sleep (in conjunctivitis caused by bacteria)
• Other discharge from your eye (green or white)
• Itchy eyes (especially in conjunctivitis caused by allergies)
• Burning eyes (especially in conjunctivitis caused by chemicals and irritants)
• Blurred vision
• Increased sensitivity to light

Cures / Preventions for Conjunctivitis:

Take precautions from spreading Conjunctivitis by:

• Don't touch or rub infected eye(s).
• Wash hands often with soap and warm water.
• Wash any discharge from your eyes twice a day using a fresh cotton ball or paper towel. Afterwards, discard the cotton ball and wash your hands with soap and warm water.
• Wash your bed linens, pillowcases, and towels in hot water and detergent.
• Avoid wearing eye makeup.
• Wear glasses instead of contact lenses. Throw away disposable lenses or be sure to clean extended wear lenses and all eyewear cases.
• Avoid sharing common articles such as unwashed towels, cups, and glasses.
• Wash your hands after applying the eye drops or ointment to your eye or your child's eye.
• Do not use eye drops in a non-infected eye that were used for an infected one.

Medicines for Conjunctivitis:

Medicines used to treat Conjunctivitis include: antibiotics in the forms of eye drops, ointments, or pills.

Treatment for Conjunctivitis:

The treatment of Conjunctivitis depends on the type of infection:

• Bacteria : Conjunctivitis caused by bacteria is treated with antibiotics. The antibiotic can be given as eye drops, ointments, or pills. Eye drops or ointments may need to be applied to the inside of the eyelid three to four times a day for five to seven days. The infection should improve within a week. Take the medicine as instructed by your doctor, even if the symptoms go away.
• Virus : Medicine cannot treat conjunctivitis caused by a virus. This type of conjunctivitis often results from a common cold. Just as a cold must run its course, so must this form of conjunctivitis, which will last from 4 to 7 days. You may, however, help relieve symptoms by applying a cold compress.
• Irritating substance : To treat this type of conjunctivitis, use warm water for five minutes to wash the irritating substance from the eye. You should also avoid further exposure to the irritating substances. Your eyes should begin to improve within four hours after washing away the substance. If they do not, call your doctor.
• Allergies : Allergy-associated conjunctivitis should be evaluated by your ophthalmologist and an allergist. It may disappear completely when the allergy is treated with antihistamines or the when the allergen is removed.