How to treat conjunctivitis fast and effectively

Definition of Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is an infection or inflammation of the conjunctivae, the thin clear membranes that cover the white component of the eyeballs and line the inside of the eyelids.

Description

Conjunctivitis is a medical condition in which the conjunctivae appear pink or red, and also the eyes water and feel irritated. In some cases the eyes may feel scratchy or itchy as well. Conjunctivitis can be caused by a bacterial, chlamydial, or viral infection; by seasonal allergies; by a foreign object in the eye; by a chemical irritant; or by such other medical conditions as dry eye. There may be mild sensitivity to light, a condition known as photophobia.

Demographics

You will find no exact statistics on the number of cases of conjunctivitis in the United States each year because the condition has so numerous possible causes, but it is the single most common reason for a person's consulting an eye physician. Between 1 and 2 percent of babies born in the United States each year have ophthalmia neonatorum, a bacterial conjunctivitis caused by a sexually transmitted illness in the mother.

Causes and Symptoms of Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis might have a number of different causes. Some aren't contagious, while others could be transmitted from person to person. The symptoms also vary somewhat depending on the cause:

Allergic conjunctivitis. Allergic conjunctivitis is caused by pollen, dust, and also the other types of allergens that cause hay fever along with other seasonal allergies in some people. Both eyes are usually affected. The eyes are usually very watery and itchy in this kind of conjunctivitis, and the eyelids may swell up or look puffy.
Viral conjunctivitis. This kind of conjunctivitis is contagious and often gets started when viruses from an upper respiratory infection like a cold are carried into the eye by hand-to-eye contact. The infection generally starts in one eye but often spreads to the other within a day or two. The discharge from the eye is generally watery. A individual with viral conjunctivitis is contagious for one to two weeks after their symptoms first appear.
Bacterial conjunctivitis. Like viral conjunctivitis, this kind is also contagious and could be spread by sexual contact with someone infected with gonorrhea or chlamydia as well as by hand-to-eye transmission. Pregnant women infected with gonorrhea or chlamydia can give their babies a particularly harmful type of bacterial conjunctivitis during childbirth known as ophthalmia neonatorum, which can cause blindness if untreated. Bacterial conjunctivitis is often accompanied by a gritty or sandy feeling in the eyes and a yellowish or grayish pus-filled discharge that causes the eyelids to stick together during sleep. Bacterial conjunctivitis generally appears within 3 days after the person is infected with the bacteria. Like viral conjunctivitis, it frequently begins in one eye but can spread to the other.
Chemical splash (toxic conjunctivitis). This type of conjunctivitis is noninfectious. It's caused by getting an irritating chemical in the eye (like shampoo or chlorine from swimming in pool water) and generally affects only the lower part of the conjunctiva inside the lower eyelid. Redness of the affected eye is sometimes caused by flushing the eye to wash out the chemical.
Foreign body in the eye. Like toxic conjunctivitis, this kind of conjunctivitis is not infectious. It generally affects only one eye and may be accompanied by a mucus-like discharge.
Chronic or recurrent conjunctivitis. Some people develop recurrent episodes of conjunctivitis from wearing contact lenses or overusing certain types of eye drops. This kind of conjunctivitis is not contagious.
Conjunctivitis associated with dry eyes or other eye disorders. Some eye disorders are associated with a gradual loss of normal tear secretions in the eye, which can lead to conjunctivitis.

Diagnosis

In numerous instances conjunctivitis will clear up by itself in three to four days with out the need to see a physician. If the condition doesn't clear by itself, or if the discharge from the eye contains pus rather than being clear and watery, the person ought to see their doctor.

The physician might take a sexual history or ask about recent exposure to colds along with other viral illnesses or the patient's use of eye cosmetics or contact lenses to narrow the diagnostic possibilities. The doctor might also take a sample of the discharge from the affected eye or eyes for laboratory analysis in order to determine whether a bacterium or a virus is the trigger.

Severe pain, intense photophobia, and blurred vision are not usually present in uncomplicated conjunctivitis. A patient with these symptoms should be examined further for more serious eye disorders, including glaucoma or inflammation of the interior of the eye. If the patient's eye has been irritated by a chemical, the doctor may examine the eye with a slit lamp to see whether the interior of the eye has also been affected.

Conjunctivitis: Treatment

Treatment of conjunctivitis depends on the cause of the infection or irritation. Allergic or seasonal conjunctivitis is usually relieved by applying cool compresses to the eyes or by using artificial tears. This kind of conjunctivitis can also be treated with antihistamines, steroids, or other antiinflammatory medications.

Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotic eye ointments or drops. You will find no specific treatments for viral conjunctivitis; the illness should merely be allowed to go away on its own. Warm compresses or artificial tears might help to ease the patient's discomfort. Viral conjunctivitis might get worse for the first 3 to five days of the infection and then gradually get better; it can take as lengthy as three to four weeks for viral conjunctivitis to clear up completely.

Foreign bodies or chemicals in the eye are usually washed out with saline solution. A chemical splash involving a caustic substance like lye is really a medical emergency and should be treated by an emergency room physician or eye specialist as soon as possible.

Prognosis

The prognosis of conjunctivitis depends on its cause. Most individuals recover with no problems supplied they follow the doctor's instructions for their particular type of conjunctivitis and practice great eye hygiene in general. The only kind of conjunctivitis in adults that might cause permanent loss of vision is really a chemical splash injury involving caustic chemicals like lye or potash.

Ophthalmia neonatorum, however, can lead to blindness if it is not treated promptly. The usual treatments for bacterial infections of the eyes in newborns are silver nitrate eye drops or antibiotic medications.

Prevention

While it is not always possible to prevent being exposed to people with upper respiratory infections in one's school or workplace, one can lower one's risk of conjunctivitis by keeping the hands clean, being careful when touching the eyes, following instructions for the proper use and cleansing of contact lenses, and avoiding sharing washcloths and other personal items with other people.

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