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Conjunctivitis

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Commonly known as pinkeye, conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the white part of the eye and lines the inner surface of the eyelids. It is a fairly common condition and usually causes no danger to the eye or your child’s vision. It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, allergies such as hay fever, and irritants in the environment. With antibiotic treatment, it typically goes away without complications. 20

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, a thin, clear layer that covers the white surface of the eye and the inner eyelid. Conjunctiva is commonly called “pink eye” and is the most common cause of red eye. The sclera (white part) of the eye has fine blood vessel within it. When the conjunctiva becomes inflamed, these blood vessels enlarge and become more prominent, thus making the eye appear red. 21

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the tissue covering the eye and inner surface of the eyelid. It can be infectious (mainly caused by bacteria or viruses) or noninfectious. The common types of noninfectious conjunctivitis are allergic conjunctivitis (caused by an allergic reaction) and irritant conjunctivitis (caused by anything that irritates the eyes, such as air pollution or chlorine in pools). 7

Conjunctivitis is considered extremely common in the United States. Three percent of all ED visits are ocular related, and conjunctivitis is responsible for approximately 30% of all eye complaints. Approximately 15% of the population will have an allergic conjunctivitis episode at some time. 1

VZV can affect the conjunctiva during primary infection (chickenpox) or secondary infection (zoster). Infection can be caused by direct contact with VZV or zoster skin lesions or by inhalation of infectious respiratory secretions. 2

Most frequently, conjunctivitis (and thus red eye) is caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydial infection and gonorrhea are less common causes of conjunctivitis. However, these infections are becoming more prevalent and are important to recognize because of their significant associated systemic, ocular and social implications. 11

Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis may affect one or both eyes. Viral conjunctivitis usually produces a watery or mucous discharge. Bacterial conjunctivitis often produces a thicker, yellow-green discharge and may be associated with a respiratory infection or with a sore throat. Both viral and bacterial conjunctivitis are associated with colds. Both viral and bacterial types are very contagious. Adults and children alike can develop both of these types of pink eye. However, bacterial conjunctivitis is more common in children than it is in adults. 32

The term pink eye is most commonly used to refer to the infectious (viral or bacterial) type of conjunctivitis, but conjunctivitis may also result from allergic reactions or from chemical irritants such as air pollution, smoke, or noxious fumes. Rarely, underlying chronic medical conditions including systemic lupus erythematosus or rheumatoid arthritis can cause a persistent conjunctivitis. The infectious form of conjunctivitis is very common in children and is highly contagious. 50

Viral conjunctivitis is often associated with an infection of the upper respiratory tract, a common cold, and/or a sore throat. Its symptoms include watery discharge and variable itch. The infection usually begins with one eye, but may spread easily to the fellow eye. 3

Viral conjunctivitis is a common ocular disease both in the United States and worldwide. Because it is so common, and many cases are not brought to medical attention, accurate statistics on the frequency of disease are unavailable. Viral infection frequently occurs in epidemics within families, schools, offices, and military organizations. 2

Conjunctivitis that’s caused by bacteria is contagious as soon as symptoms appear and remains contagious as long as there is a discharge from the eye — or until 24 hours after antibiotics are started. Conjunctivitis that’s caused by a virus is generally contagious before symptoms appear and can remain contagious as long as the symptoms last. 7

Hyperacute conjunctivitis has a more rapid and severe onset than that seen in acute conjunctivitis. The overwhelming preponderance of cases of hyperacute conjunctivitis is due to N. gonorrhoeae. Conjunctivitis due to Neisseria meningitidis is seen more commonly in children than in adults and is a sentinel for potential or concomitant meningococcemia and meningitis. The eye disease from either bacterium is characterized by lid edema (at times severe enough to close the eye), marked conjunctival injection, chemosis (conjunctival edema), and a copious purulent discharge. When verbal, the patient often describes moderately severe ocular discomfort. The incubation period is typically 1-3 days. Most often, the adult has a concomitant genital infection whereas newborn disease stems from the mother’s birth canal. 23

Achild who already has conjunctivitis should wash his or her hands after touching the eyes, since conjunctivitis can easily spread from one eye to the other on contaminated hands or tissues. Be sure to wash your own hands thoroughly after touching your child’s eyes, and throw away items like gauze or cotton balls after they’ve been used. Wash towels and other linens that your child has used in hot water separately from the rest of the family’s laundry to avoid contamination. 20

A serous discharge is most commonly associated with viral or allergic ocular conditions. A mucoid (stringy or ropy) discharge is highly characteristic of allergy or dry eyes. A mucopurulent or purulent discharge, often associated with morning crusting and difficulty opening the eyelids, strongly suggests a bacterial infection. The possibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection should be considered when the discharge is copiously purulent. 11

It’s also wise not to share cosmetics, especially eye makeup. Conjunctivitis-causing bacteria can hang out on beauty products, so avoid using the testers at makeup counters directly on your eyes. And if you’ve already battled a bout with pinkeye, throw away all your eye makeup and splurge on new stuff (but don’t start using your new products until the infection is completely gone). 7

The Panacea offers these health-extracts to help people investigate health-related subjects in greater depth using the references given in each paragraph. Kindly note that these are current extracts from the web, meant for research, and that these are not meant to be medical advise. For all your health-related needs you must consult trained and licensed personnel.

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