Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)

Hello again,

Last week in lecture we discussed infections of the eye. Naturally my first thought was of the infamous Conjunctivitis, better known as "pink eye". The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t really know the cause or transmission of pink eye. As crazy as it sounds, I though you got pink eye by looking at the infected eye of a person with it. Not very wise I know, but hey, I was a kid!

So here’s what I have learned:

Conjunctivitis is a common eye condition that causes inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the thin layer that lines the inside of the eyelid and covers the white part of the eye. The reason Conjunctivitis is referred to as "pink eye" is because it can cause the white of the eye to take on a pink or red color. The most common causes of conjunctivitis are viruses and bacteria.

Viral conjunctivitis can be caused by a number of different viruses which are usually associated with an upper respiratory tract infection, cold, or sore throat. It usually begins in one eye and may progress to the second eye within days. Viral conjunctivitis spreads easily and rapidly between people and can result in epidemics.

Bacterial conjunctivitis is caused by infection of the eye with certain bacteria, commonly Streptococcous pneumonia and Haemophilus influenzae. Bacterial conjunctivitis also usually begins in one eye and may sometimes progress to the second eye.

Both the bacterial and viral forms of the condition are contagious. The germs that cause conjunctivitis may be present in nasal secretions and in the discharge from the eyes. People can become infected simply by touching the face of someone with the disease and then rubbing their own eyes without first washing their hands. Sharing contaminated towels or eye makeup also can spread the infection. Infectious conjunctivitis can spread quickly through child-care and school settings and among members of the same family. Because of this bacterial conjunctivitis is a leading cause of children being absent from day care or school. Bacterial conjunctivitis can remain contagious until treatment with antibiotics is started. The viral form is usually contagious before the symptoms appear and for as long as symptoms, including any discharge from the eye, last.

So how do we prevent pink eye?

The best way to prevent infectious conjunctivitis is to wash hands frequently, especially after touching the face of someone who has the infection. It is a good idea for people with infectious conjunctivitis to wash their hands often to avoid spreading the infection. It is also wise not to share makeup; disposable items, such as paper towels and cotton balls; or towels. Also, to prevent re-infection once the infection goes away you should throw away and replace any eye or face makeup you used while infected, replace contact lens solutions that you used while your eyes were infected, throw away disposable contact lenses and cases that were used while your eyes were infected and clean extended wear lenses as well as eyeglasses and cases that were used while infected.

So as you can see, it takes a little more that just looking at someone with pink to catch it!

Until next time, check out the link and image below, comment, and post!
Thanks for reading!!!

http://www.cdc.gov/conjunctivitis/about/index.html

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