Conjunctivitis or pink eye is a common eye ailment. The American Academy of Ophthalmology states that many people, especially children, suffer from this eye condition. Knowing more about the symptoms and causes of conjunctivitis can help you recognize it and seek early treatment. Here are the details.

The Basics of Conjunctivitis

This eye condition is the inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the clear inner lining of your eyelid and the outer layer of your eye. The conjunctiva helps maintain the moisture in your eyeball and eyelid. You can get conjunctivitis in one or both eyes.

The Symptoms

An eye with conjunctivitis develops a light pink or reddish color. Your eyelids become droopy or puffy. There could also be some white, green, or yellow discharge from the infected eye. In some cases, there could be some crusting on your eyelids and eyelashes. Itchiness is a common symptom as well.

There is an increase in tear production. You may also feel as if there is a foreign object in your eye. This can urge you to rub your eye. For contact lens wearers, the presence of the lenses may worsen the symptoms.

If you have bacterial conjunctivitis, your eyelids tend to stick together because of the pus draining from your affected eye. You may also experience an ear infection with this conjunctivitis. Viral conjunctivitis can happen with a respiratory infection. It can begin in one eye and then spread to the other. The discharge is watery.

Conjunctivitis from irritants can produce a mucus discharge and result in watery eyes. Allergic conjunctivitis often happens in both eyes. This infection can cause swelling, tearing, and itching. You may experience allergy symptoms as well, such as asthma or sneezing.

The Causes

Conjunctivitis may be a common eye condition, but it can have different forms. This is because there are several factors that cause conjunctivitis. Here are the causes of the different types of conjunctivitis:
 

• Allergic conjunctivitis happens as a reaction to an allergen, such as dander or pollen. Your body produces immunoglobulin E (IgE) that triggers cells in your air passages and eyes so that they can release inflammatory substances. This type of conjunctivitis is not contagious.
   

• Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are from adenovirus or other viruses, such as varicella-zoster virus and herpes simplex virus. These two types of conjunctivitis can happen with an upper respiratory infection. You can get them by wearing another person’s contact lenses or if you do not clean your contacts well. Either the bacterial or viral pink eye is contagious. One or both of your eyes can have either.
   

• Conjunctivitis from irritation can come from a lodged foreign object or a chemical splash. In some cases, cleaning and flushing the eye can remove the object or chemical. Mucus discharge and watery eyes may also occur. This type of pink eye can clear up in a day. Seeing an eye doctor can help remove the irritants.

Knowing the symptoms and causes of conjunctivitis can help you get early treatments. At Highline Eye Care & Optical, we always provide high-quality eye care products and services. You can visit our clinic in Flagstaff, Arizona, for a one-on-one consultation. Please call us at 928-240-9214 if you want to set an appointment or inquire about our conjunctivitis treatment packages.