Conjunctivitis, also known as “pink eye”, is the inflammation of the outer layer of the white part of the eye, which has the role of protecting and preserving the ideal humidity of the eye. Causes of this eye disease may be variable, but usually imply a bacterial, viral, allergic source, or various irritating factors. In today’s article we’ll cover what causes this condition, what its evolution looks like, and how you can treat it in the shortest time.
Causes of pink eye
If you have a permanent feeling that there is something in your eye, or have a constant itch, if your eyes are always red, even if you just woke up, or the conjunctival sac produces a constant white-yellowish substance, and your eyes are watering a lot, it’s recommended to visit an ophthalmologist, as you might be suffering from pink eye.
There are many possible causes for this condition, but most come from:
- Virus infections – such as measles
- Bacterial infections – such as gonococcal, staphylococcal, streptococcal or chlamydia
- Irritating factors – such as chlorine in swimming pool water, cigarette smoke, shampoos, sprays, detergents, or other cosmetics
- Allergens – from dust to pollen, or even contact lenses.
Evolution of conjunctivitis
There are several forms of pink eye that you can have, and which can give you great headaches, especially if you ignore the early symptoms. The most common types of pink eye are:
Viral conjunctivitis
This type of conjunctivitis can come packaged with a respiratory infection, which becomes easily contagious in seasons with sudden changes in temperature. Usually, this type of conjunctivitis can cause not only the inflammation of the white part of the eye, but also the cornea, so the situation is far more serious than it seems.
Bacterial conjunctivitis
Antibiotics are the most handy solution to combat this type of conjunctivitis. The measures should be taken as soon as possible, because if you delay your visit to a doctor, it is possible that the condition will degenerate into a corneal infection, which may result in partial or total loss of vision in the short term.
Allergic conjunctivitis
Most of the time, you can be diagnosed with this type of conjunctivitis, especially in spring and autumn, when allergens fly freely through the air. Pollen or even simple dust particles can cause you great inconvenience.
There are also particular forms of pink eye, such as conjunctivitis with irritating agents, fungal conjunctivitis, gonococcal conjunctivitis or chlamydia conjunctivitis, for which specialists can guide you to appropriate treatment.
Treatment
Your ophthalmologist will establish appropriate treatment, depending on the form of conjunctivitis you have. Local treatment consists of manual removal of secretions. Specifically, you will need to use drops of antiseptic solutions, physiological saline or boiled and cooled water. Once an antibiogram has been performed, the ophthalmologist may establish antibiotic treatment if necessary.
Apart from these medical actions, you must strictly include some measures in your daily habits. Here’s what they look like:
- Avoid touching the eye area, because the disease can quickly move from one eye to another
- Be more careful with personal hygiene, and use only clean towels or pillowcases
- If you are using permanent contact lenses, stop using them. Immediately after completing treatment, you will need to readjust them after a specialist consultation
- Do not share cosmetics or makeup with someone else. The disease is very easily contagious!
- Use artificial tears, which you can buy from any drug store without a prescription.
Careful! Do not try to treat conjunctivitis by yourself, with natural remedies or treatments you’ve heard of or seen online, because the form you were diagnosed with may require special treatment, which only a professional is able to recommend. The health of your eyes is very important, so do not ignore any of the signs your body might give you!
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