Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, can be caused
by lots of conditions, including allergies, infection, contact
lenses, and eye injury. Basically, when the eye becomes irritated,
it gets red or pink due to inflammation, or swelling, of the conjunctiva.
The conjunctiva is made of clear, thin, filmy
layers of tissue covering the white part of the eye (and covering
the inside of the eyelids, too). Within the conjunctiva, there
are many tiny blood vessels. Pink eye is the result when these
tiny blood vessels swell up and become more noticeable in the
mirror or to other people.
Signs and Symptoms of Pink Eye
- Light Sensitivity
- White, Yellow, or Green Discharge
- Blurry Vision
- Eye Strain
- Flu-like symptoms
Causes of Pink Eye
Viral Conjunctivitis is the most contagious
form of pink eye. It usually occurs during or after a person has
a cold or the flu. It can be spread from one person to another
the same way that a cold is spread, by hand to eye, nose, or mouth
contact. Avoiding contact with sick people, keeping your hands
clean, and not touching your eyes, nose, mouth, or face can help
prevent the spread of infection. If someone in your household
is sick, try not to share their pillowcases, towels, or washcloths.
The most common eye symptoms of viral conjunctivitis are pink,
tired, watery, itchy, or sticky eyes along with head, eye, or
body aches, and light sensitivity.
Bacterial Conjunctivitis is one of the most
common causes of pink eye in contact lens wearers and in children.
It usually is not contagious to other people, but can spread from
one eye to the other if the infected eye is touched or rubbed
a lot. Mattered eyelids, goopy discharge, and a sudden onset of
redness are the most common eye symptoms with bacterial conjunctivitis.
Allergic Conjunctivitis may be the only sign
of an allergy that a person may have, but most often allergic
pink eye accompanies the other common allergy symptoms of a runny
nose, scratchy throat, sinus or nasal congestion, cough, or asthma.
In fact, sometimes people that are experiencing a mild allergic
reaction actually think that they have a cold because the symptoms
of allergies can mimic the symptoms of a common cold. Pink eye
due to allergies can be triggered by contact lens wear, pollen,
animals, foods, chemicals, dust, smoke, and wind. Itching, watering,
white or stringy discharge, and redness are the most common eye
symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis.
Episcleritis is pink eye caused by swelling
and redness of the white part of the eye, or episclera, which
is located directly under the conjunctiva. Episcleritis can make
the entire eye red, or the redness can be from a wedge of swelling
in just one section. The eye is usually sore to the touch, light
sensitive, and a brow ache or headache often accompanies episcleritis,
which is not contagious.
Inflammatory Conjunctivitis is pink eye caused
by some irritation to the eye such as contact lens over wear,
getting hit in the eye, dust, dirt, or chemical exposure (fumes,
liquid, or solids), excessive rubbing of the eye, crying, not
getting enough sleep, and dryness of the eye (from staring at
a computer, or being in a windy or drafty place). Some common
symptoms of inflammatory conjunctivitis are blurry vision, sore,
red, and swollen eyes.
Pink Eye Treatment
The treatment of pink eye depends first on identifying its cause,
which is usually simple and straightforward. Sometimes pink eye
can be caused by more than one condition occurring at the same
time, such as inflammatory conjunctivitis from contact lens over
wear and seasonal allergic conjunctivitis.
A careful and thorough examination by your eye doctor
is very important when you have pink eye to determine if your
pink eye is contagious or can damage the eye. By looking at the
eyes with a special light biomicroscope, called a slit-lamp, the
best treatment can be recommended.
For example, your eye doctor will recommend specific eye
drops, such as for allergies or infection to help the
redness go away and ways to treat the underlying condition which
created the redness in the first place. So that it doesn’t
come back or spread.
Some eye drops require a prescription, while
others may be purchased without a prescription, or over-the-counter.
Currently, the best eye drops for pink eye are prescription only,
although some of the over-the-counter allergy and lubricant drops
work well on some eyes. Your doctor may in fact recommend one
But, using the wrong eye drops may irritate or burn the eyes
and make the eyes feel or look worse. So it’s best to see
your eye doctor in order to find out the exact cause of your pink
eye and to get the most effective eye drops and treatment for
If you have a potentially vision threatening infection, medicated
eye drops (or ointment) will be prescribed and your doctor will
closely watch your eyes during the healing process. Depending
on the exact cause of pink eye, treatment may last from as little
as a few days to weeks, or even months! Fortunately, most treated
cases of mild pink eye resolve within one week.
Because contact lenses can worsen pink eye, it is best to completely
avoid contact lens wear while the eyes are healing.
It’s a good idea for all contact lens wearers to always
have a current glasses prescription handy, just in case an infection
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