Pink Eye Symptoms

What is pink eye?

Pink eye is also known as conjunctivitis that is inflatedness and redness of the membranes covering with the whites of the eyes and the membranes on the inside part of the eyelids. These membranes react on the wide range of the viruses, bacteria, allergy providing agents, toxic agents and the irritants. Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are mostly occurs in children but it may also occur in people of any age.

Causes of pink eye:

Causes of the pink eye contain:

The viruses and bacteria responsible for causing cold and other infections such as sinus infection, ear infection and sore throats are responsible for causing pink eye. Same types of bacteria are responsible for causing sexually transmitted diseases (STD) named gonorrhea and Chlamydia.

Both the bacterial and viral types are much infectious. Children and adults can develop both the types of pink eye. Bacterial conjunctivitis occurs mostly in children rather than the adults.

Pink eyes can also cause because of allergies. These cases are occurs in the children very rarely who may have other types of allergies such as fever etc. Some causes of allergic conjunctivitis contain ragweed pollen, grass, animal dander, and the dust mites.

You experience the tearing, intense itching, inflammation of eyes, sneezing, and watery nasal discharge. You also experience swelling of the membrane which lines part of eyeballs and eyelids.

Substances in the environment sometimes irritate the eyes and cause the pink eyes. The substances are such as chemicals like soaps and chlorine and air pollutants such as flumes and smoke.

Risk factors for Pink Eye:

Following are risk factors responsible for pink eye include:

Both the forms that are bacterial or viral conjunctivitis are common in all children and are very infectious. The person or children affected with the conjunctivitis may infectious for first 7 to 14 days and pink eye symptoms and signs appear after that.

Those people who wear the contact lenses, generally extended wear lenses, may be flat to the conjunctivitis.

Pink Eye Symptoms and Signs

The red or pink color of irritated or infected eye is because of inflammation. Following will provide some clues for knowing that you have pink eyes:

Other common pink eye symptoms are listed below:

Diagnosis of Pink Eye:

For a laboratory analysis, doctor may take a sample of secretions of eye from conjunctiva for determination of type of infection and which treatment is suited for that.

If you have a little infant with the persisted eye tearing and regular pink eye, then the child may have suffering from blocked tear duct. The pediatrician of the child closely observe the condition for seeing the tear duct open itself or have to referred any eye specialist for further treatment.

Treatment of Pink Eye:

Avoidance:

The primary treatment for pink eye is avoidance of the substances or things which are responsible for causing the conjunctivitis such as avoid hand towels. The airborne sources cause the bacterial and viral conjunctivitis which then easily spreads to other.

For avoiding this conjunctivitis, at the time of high count of airborne pollen just closed the doors and windows. If you are exposed to chemicals, smoke and fumes, then stay in areas which are well ventilated.

Medication:

If there is any special reason then only doctor prescribes the medication, otherwise doctor do not normally prescribe the medicines for the conjunctivitis occur because of virus, because it clears own after some period. Doctor suggests astringent for keeping eyes clean and to prevent from bacterial infection. Artificial tears are common prescription for relieve of discomfort and dryness.

Antibiotic ointments and eye drops will ease the bacterial conjunctivitis. Antibiotic tablets are used for some infections which started elsewhere in to the body.

Bacterial conjunctivitis:

If you are suffering from bacterial infection then doctor prescribes antibiotics eye drops for treatment of pink eye and this infection may be cure within some days. For the pink eye in children, antibiotic eye ointment is given except eye drops for testing the treatment of bacterial infection. An ointment is easier for children or infant rather than eye drops. Nut after using this ointment, blur the vision may be up to twenty minutes. After using both types of drops, you may notice the change within one or two days and improves the pink eye symptoms and signs.

Viral conjunctivitis:

Ointment or antibiotic eye drops does not give response to the viral conjunctivitis. As like common cold, use over-the-counter remedy for reliving the pink eye symptoms. In first five days pink eye symptoms get worsen but after that they should clear gradually their own. It may take two to three weeks.

Allergic conjunctivitis:

For allergic conjunctivitis, doctor may prescribe different types of eye drops. These include decongestants, antihistamines, mast cell stabilizers, anti-inflammatory drops and steroids.

Antihistamine allergy pills or eyedrops: This will control the pink eye symptoms or conjunctivitis symptoms. Comfort will provides by the artificial tears but they protect the surface of the eye from the allergens and dilute whatever allergens present in tear.

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