What is Conjunctivitis (pink eye)?
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THIS LOOKS SCARY BUT IT IS USUALLY NOT THAT SERIOUS.
So, what is this scary looking eye infection??
The eye infection conjunctivitis often called pink eye is common in people especially in young kids.
Pinkeye is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the white part of the eye and the inner eyelids. It is an infection or swelling in your conjunctiva, which is a thin, transparent membrane that lies over the inner surface of the eyelid and covers the white part of your eye.
WHY THE EYES BECOME SO RED?
When you have pink eye, blood vessels in your conjunctiva become inflamed. This gives your eye the red or pink color that’s commonly associated with conjunctivitis.
The worst part of this infection is that it is highly contagious i.e can rapidly spread and children get it a lot. It do not cause any serious or long term harm to your eyes but its better to get it treated quickly by a specialized doctor. It can get cured on its own but proper treatment can make the process faster.
WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF PINK EYE
Pink eye is a viral or bacterial infection. The bacteria and viruses which are commonly responsible for common cold, throat infections, ear infections are responsible for pink eye too.
Some conjunctivitis are non infectious. Like when the eyes get red due to dust particles, pollution or chlorine in pool or when we take bath for longer time, this is called irritant conjunctivitis.
Sometimes due to allergic conditions like hay fever our eyes get red this is called allergic conjunctivitis.
Can pink eye be caused due to STD??
The answer is yes. Pink eyes can be caused due to STD. If a pregnant woman is having STD so the virus or bacteria can pass through the birth canal to the baby's eyes, causing pink eye in the newborn. So, to prevent it doctors apply eye drops to all the babies right after their birth otherwise it can be risky for the newborns.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF PINK EYE
1. Redness of the eyes is the most obvious and visible symptom.
2. It often feels like there is some dust particles or sand in the eye.
3. Discomfort in the eyes.
4. Itchiness
5. Discharge from the eyes.
6. Watery eyes
7. Pain and swelling.
TREATMENT
Pinkeye caused by a virus usually goes away without any treatment. Pinkeye caused by bacteria is treated with antibiotic eye drops or ointment. In case of allergic conjunctivitis, your doctor may prescribe anti-allergy medicine, either as pills, liquid, or eye drops.
Pink eye is a very normal eye infection but still it should not be avoided. If its not going away within few days or the the eye is getting excessively irritated then one must definitely visit the specialized doctor. Contact lenses should not be worn. Its better to cover the eyes by wearing sunglasses so that the dust particle do not enter the infected eye and also others do not get infected by him/her.
Reference -
kidshealth.org
www.aao.org
www.msdmanuals.com
In-text references-
"www.webmd.com"
"www.healthline.com "
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