CONJUNCTIVITIS
Conjunctivitis is a common condition that causes the inflammation of the conjunctiva.
- The conjunctiva is the thin layer of membrane or tissue that lies over the white part of the eyeball and lines the inside of the eyelid.
- The small blood vessels in the conjunctiva when inflamed swell up and become more visible, causing the eyes to appear reddish. This is why conjunctivitis is also commonly referred to as pink eye or red eye.
- Conjunctivitis can affect one eye at first before spreading to the other eye after few hours.
- Anyone can be affected by conjunctivitis but the contagious types spread fast among students, teachers and daycare workers because they work closely with others in the classroom.
- The common types of conjunctivitis are:
BACTERIAL CONJUNCTIVITIS
- Bacterial Conjunctivitis is contagious and the bacteria can be spread through contact with an infected person, exposure to contaminated material or surfaces, or through some other means such as ear or sinus infections. Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, and Haemophilus influenza are some common types of bacteria that cause bacterial conjunctivitis.
- Bacterial conjunctivitis is commonly characterized by a thick eye discharge or pus that affects one or both eyes.
VIRAL CONJUNCTIVITIS
- Viral conjunctivitis is also highly contagious as airborne viruses can be transmitted through sneezing and coughing. Viral conjunctivitis can also occur because of some common respiratory infections such as common cold, measles or the flu.
- Viral conjunctivitis is usually characterized by a watery discharge and can cause an epidemic in schools and other institutions.
ALLERGIC CONJUNCTIVITIS
- Allergic conjunctivitis can be triggered by allergens such as pollens, animal dander, and
- It is characterized by an itchy eye.
CAUSES
- Viruses
- Bacteria
- Allergies
- A blocked tear duct in newborns
- A foreign object in the eye
- Irritants such as shampoos, smoke, and pool chlorine.
- A chemical splash
- A reaction to eye drops
- Conjunctivitis sometimes results from a sexually transmitted disease such as Gonorrhea, chlamydia. If either gonorrhea or chlamydia is present in your body when you give birth, it can be passed down to your newborn baby through your birth canal and can cause blindness if left untreated.
SYMPTOMS
- Redness because of irritation and the blood vessel that widens in the conjunctiva.
- Swelling of the conjunctiva due to inflammation.
- Respiratory tract infection such as a headache, fever, and sore throat
- Itchy eyes
- Blurred vision
- Burning eyes
- More sensitivity to light
- White or green discharge from the eyes.
- More tears than usual
- Swollen lymph node mostly from a viral infection
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
DIAGNOSIS
To get a proper diagnosis, your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and recent health history and may perform a physical examination.
In rare cases, your doctor may use a cotton swab to take the sample of the fluid from your eyelid to test in a lab.
This will help to detect bacteria or viruses causing your conjunctivitis
After diagnosis, the best treatment option is selected.
TREATMENT
Bacterial conjunctivitis can be treated by using antibiotics in the form of eye drops, ointments or pills.
For conjunctivitis that results from an irritating substance, use water to wash the substance from your face for like 5 minutes.
If it was caused by a chemical splash such as bleach or acid, immediately use plenty water to rinse such from your eyes and call your doctor
Conjunctivitis that results from allergies usually improves once the allergy has been treated. Antihistamines can give relief.
Viral conjunctivitis in most cases will run its course over a period of days. Antibiotics will not help anything caused by a virus. Since it is very contagious, try everything you can to prevent its spread.