What is Conjunctivitis?

Conjunctivitis is a common eye infection that affects people of all ages. When you suffer from this ailment, you experience swelling of the tissue between the white region of your eyes and eyelids. Doctors refer to this thin layer of skin as the conjunctiva. Due to the inflammation of blood vessels in this membrane, you notice that your eyes become red in colour and start to discharge water. This is the reason why many people call this condition as pinkeye.The medical experts do not consider this contagious disease to be very serious. However, they do advise patients to consult their local general practitioner as soon as possible.

Symptoms of this eye disorder

If you suffer from conjunctivitis, both of your eyes become reddish in colour. They also itch and make you feel very uncomfortable. In addition to this, you will noticethat your eyesbegin to discharge mucus and water continuously. These substances form a thick yellow crust when you areasleep. Due to this, you find it hard to open your eyes when you get up in the morning. Whenever you go outdoors, you have to wear sunglasses because your eyes become sensitive to very bright light. Under such conditions, you should never touch your eyes with your hands unless they are clean.Moreover, if you experience any of the above symptoms, you should make an appointment with your doctor at the earliest.

Causes

Bacteria and virus are the primary cause of conjunctivitis. This eye disorder can spread very quickly from one person to another. However, doctors do not regard this infection to be very serious if they can treat the patients suffering from it in time. However, they do warn mothers of babies suffering from this ailment to see a skilled medical professional immediately. This is because this eye affliction can seriously affect their vision in future. Besides microorganisms, dust, allergies and smoke in the atmosphere can trigger conjunctivitis. In some cases, harsh chemical substances found in shampoos and chlorine in swimming pools maycause this condition.

Treatment

When it comes to treating patients suffering bacterial conjunctivitis, doctors usually prescribe them an anti-bacterial eye drop. This medicine is effective ineradicating the condition with a few days. In the case of young children, these specialists also recommend an ointment for the eyes with anti-bacterial properties for a specified period.

When a virus is responsible for this eye condition doctors, say the condition will last for at least two to three days or even one week. They go on to explain that a mild compression is the best remedy, but it will offer temporary relief. In this case, the patient has a soak a piece of cloth or cotton wool in warm water. He/she should apply this to his/her eyes after shutting his/her eyelids to remove the mucus.

Conjunctivitis is not a very rare eye condition. This infection can affect both adults and children. Doctors say that good hygiene is the best way to prevent this disease from occurring. This implies cleaning pillows regularly and washing your hands before touching your eyes. Moreover, you should be careful and not share cosmetics you use on your eyes with other people.