Sometimes it’s difficult to differentiate the condition of the eyes. That is because there are several conditions that may cause eye symptoms, similar to pain or discomfort, tearing, or redness.
But should you notice that particular pink color starting on the white of your or your child’s eyeball, you are considering of 1 thing: pink eye – conjunctivitis, to be precise.
Nevertheless, not all pinkness or redness means conjunctivitis. So it is vital to know what other pink eye symptoms to search for and when to check with your doctor about them.
Below, we’ll discuss the infectious and non-infectious causes of pink eye, how these causes can affect pink eye symptoms, and how vital it’s to get a diagnosis.
What’s pink eye (conjunctivitis)? A type of inflammation
Pink eye or conjunctivitis is swelling and irritation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is a transparent layer of tissue that covers the whites of the eyes and the inside the eyelids.
How common is pink eye?
Pink eye is one of the vital common eye diseases amongst children and adults every yr.
Different causes of pink eye
Conjunctivitis has several different causes, including:
- Viruses Viruses are essentially the most common reason for pink eye.
- Bacteria Bacteria are the second most typical reason for pink eye.
- allergens or irritants. Non-infectious eye redness may result from an allergic response to seasonal allergens or irritants similar to chlorinated pool water or poor air quality.
Along with pink or red eyes, conjunctivitis is often related to several other key symptoms. These could be:
- Discomfort, itching, sandy or burning sensation within the eyes
- Watery or watery eyes that may blur vision at times
- White, gray or yellowish discharge from one or each eyes that will crust whilst you sleep
- Mild sensitivity to light
The symptoms of pink eye can vary barely depending on the cause, which we’ll talk more about below.
Pink eye viral symptoms
Viral conjunctivitis is usually brought on by the identical viruses that cause respiratory infections. For that reason, viral pink eye symptoms can accompany cold or flu symptoms and often start in a single eye before spreading to the opposite. The discomfort brought on by viral conjunctivitis is manifested by burning or grit in the attention. The discharge from the attention with viral pink eye is often watery.
Symptoms of Bacterial Pink Eye
Like viral conjunctivitis, bacterial conjunctivitis could be brought on by bacteria chargeable for other infections – notably staphylococci and strep throat. Bacterial conjunctivitis normally causes less discomfort than viral conjunctivitis, but it might make the attention sore and could have more pronounced symptoms similar to redness and discharge. The discharge is often yellow or green, thick and sticky.
Symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis
Because the name suggests, allergic conjunctivitis can occur as a part of a broader allergic response – meaning it might be accompanied by allergy symptoms similar to an itchy nose or throat, sneezing, and watery mucus. Allergic conjunctivitis often causes intense itching and tearing in each eyes at the identical time and may cause eyelid swelling.
Clogged tear ducts in newborns
In newborns, a blocked tear duct can often cause an eye fixed discharge that appears much like infection or conjunctivitis. But a blocked tear duct shouldn’t be normally brought on by an infection or conjunctivitis.
Is pink eye contagious?
Pink eye shouldn’t be at all times contagious, but it surely is when it’s brought on by a virus or bacteria. For that reason, it is vital to get an official diagnosis out of your primary care physician or clinician. They will inform you should you can just concentrate on managing your symptoms or if that you must take steps to avoid spreading conjunctivitis to others.
How viral and bacterial conjunctivitis spreads
Viral conjunctivitis is usually contagious before symptoms appear and stays contagious so long as symptoms persist. Bacterial conjunctivitis is contagious from the moment symptoms appear and stays contagious so long as there’s discharge, unless you begin a course of antibiotics, wherein case it is taken into account non-contagious after 24 hours.
Each varieties of pink eye could be spread through direct or indirect contact, which implies they could be transmitted by:
- Being physically near or touching someone with pink eyes
- Outdoor coughing or sneezing
- Eye touching after touching surfaces or objects that the person with pink eye has touched
How long does contagious pink eye last?
Each viral and bacterial pink eye normally last for 5-7 days, but it surely may take longer to completely disappear.
Easy methods to prevent the spread of pink eye
Due to ways contagious pink eye is spread, the very best approach to prevention is sweet hygiene. Meaning:
- Wash your hands often for not less than 20 seconds with warm soapy water
- Change of towels, cloths and handkerchiefs after each use
- Not sharing items and cleansing shared surfaces after use
- Avoid touching your eyes as much as possible and wash your hands before and after if you need to
When to go to the doctor with pink eye symptoms
If you happen to think you or your child have pink eyes, the very best next step is to get a diagnosis from a physician. Many cases of pink eye get well on their very own, and home remedies similar to eye packs and drops are effective in treating symptoms. But depending on the kind and severity of your pink eye, your caregiver may recommend additional pink eye treatments.
Along with getting an initial diagnosis, it is vital to see your doctor or clinician for pink eye if:
- Your eye hurts so much
- Your eyes are very red or produce numerous discharge
- Your eyes are very sensitive to light
- You’ve got blurred vision
- Your symptoms worsen or don’t improve over time
- You wear contact lenses
- You’ve got a lowered immunity
- You’ve got swelling or redness around your eye
Regardless of the reason for your pink eye, your doctor may also help. They will provide tips about the best way to prevent the spread of infectious conjunctivitis, discover irritants or allergens, and manage symptoms during recovery.