Conjunctivitis, often known as pink eye, is a typical eye situation. Most individuals assume they know what pink eye is, however there are lots of misconceptions about it.
Pink eye occurs when the conjunctiva — the skinny, moist layer that covers a part of your eye in addition to the within of your eyelid — will get infected. The situation is most carefully related to redness and itchiness of the eyes. However there’s a couple of sort of pink eye, and there are vital variations in what could cause it and the right way to deal with it.
Right here’s what to learn about pink eye, together with eight widespread errors folks make concerning the situation and the details behind them.
Fable No. 1: Solely youngsters get pink eye.
FACT: Pink eye is quite common in youngsters, however it’s not only a youngsters’ situation. Many adults get pink eye, too.
The situation continuously happens in youngsters for a number of causes. Pink eye typically occurs when germs transfer from palms to eyes, and children (particularly youthful ones) usually tend to rub their eyes and neglect to scrub their palms. The an infection can unfold simply when youngsters are shut collectively, like at college or on the playground.
Fable No. 2: You received’t get pink eye for those who don’t rub your eyes.
FACT: Touching your eyes with unclean palms is only one method that you could get conjunctivitis. Your eye can get contaminated if it is available in contact with a contaminated object or substance, like improperly cleaned contact lenses, make-up, lotion, or the tip of an eye-drop dispenser that was used on an eye fixed with conjunctivitis.
Viral conjunctivitis might be unfold via publicity to the coughing and sneezing of an individual with an upper-respiratory an infection, equivalent to a typical chilly. Different sorts of conjunctivitis might be brought on by allergens equivalent to mud mites and pet dander or by publicity to irritants equivalent to air pollution and chemical compounds.
Fable No. 3: Pink eye is at all times infectious and really contagious.
FACT: Several types of pink eye exist, and never all of them are infectious. Bacterial conjunctivitis (brought on by staphylococcal or streptococcal micro organism) and viral conjunctivitis are very contagious. However allergic conjunctivitis just isn’t contagious and often occurs in folks with seasonal allergy symptoms. Chemical conjunctivitis can also be not contagious and is brought on by contact with irritants equivalent to smog or the chlorine in swimming pool water.
Fable No. 4: You possibly can’t be born with conjunctivitis.
FACT: Newborns can have neonatal conjunctivitis, which is brought on by a blocked tear duct, irritation to the attention, or an an infection. Moms can even go micro organism and viruses to a child throughout childbirth, significantly if they’ve a sexually transmitted an infection like chlamydia or gonorrhea.
Infants born with chlamydial or gonococcal conjunctivitis can develop critical infections in different components of the physique, such because the lungs and the spinal twine (often known as meningitis). Neonatal conjunctivitis brought on by micro organism is handled with antibiotics.
Fable No. 5: You by no means must go to the physician for conjunctivitis.
FACT: More often than not, pink eye doesn’t require particular remedy and will get higher by itself. However typically, it might probably result in issues. See your healthcare supplier for those who’ve bought worsening signs, like eye ache, blurred imaginative and prescient, a weakened immune system, or one other eye drawback.
Fable No. 6: You probably have eye redness, then it should be conjunctivitis.
FACT: Crimson or bloodshot eyes is usually a signal of many issues apart from conjunctivitis. Allergic reactions, dry eye syndrome, and irritants could cause a crimson discoloration of the white of the attention.
However eye redness can have extra critical causes behind it. Listed below are three eye situations that shouldn’t be ignored:
- Glaucoma, which damages the nerve that connects your eye to your mind, impacts greater than three million Individuals. One type of glaucoma, often called angle-closure glaucoma, causes the attention to redden and imaginative and prescient to blur. It’s an pressing medical situation that may trigger blindness if not handled.
- Scleritis is swelling of the powerful outer layer of the attention, and it typically occurs with immune system issues like rheumatoid arthritis. In extreme instances, it might probably trigger the layer in the back of your eye to tug away (retinal detachment) and even result in imaginative and prescient loss.
- Uveitis is swelling inside the center a part of your eye. This situation can injury eye tissue and trigger lasting imaginative and prescient loss.
Fable No. 7: There isn’t a remedy for conjunctivitis.
FACT: Conjunctivitis is commonly delicate and goes away by itself. However therapies can relieve some signs, relying on the kind of conjunctivitis. You should use eye drops referred to as synthetic tears for dryness. Heat or cool compresses assist soothe irritation and produce down swelling. Allergy drugs will help in case your pink eye is brought on by allergens.
In case you’ve bought pink eye together with ache, imaginative and prescient issues, or your signs worsen, search medical consideration.
Fable No. 8: When you’ve had conjunctivitis, you’re resistant to it.
FACT: No matter the kind of pink eye, having it as soon as doesn’t defend you in opposition to getting it sooner or later. Micro organism and viruses that trigger infectious conjunctivitis can strike at any time. You possibly can defend in opposition to an infection by avoiding rubbing your eyes, washing your palms typically, not sharing issues like towels and make-up, and correctly cleansing eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Like with any allergy, one of the simplest ways to forestall allergic pink eye from coming again is to keep away from issues you understand you’re allergic to. Do not forget that conjunctivitis can unfold from one eye to the opposite, so keep away from touching the unaffected eye with something that has come into contact with the affected eye.
