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Greetings to everyone, Its my pleasure bringing to you another episode of my health series. Previously, I've written interesting articles on some health conditions like yellow fever, Anemia, crohn's disease, etc. You can access all of it on my blog.
Today, I'll be writing about a disease that affects only the eye, most of us have had it at some point in our life without knowing, its very contagious and affects approximately 6 million people yearly in the united state, this disease is known as conjunctivitis (pink eye).
What is conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is a eye disorder characterised by pink or red colouration of the white part of the eyeball, this is due to the inflammation of the conjunctiva. Conjunctiva is a thin transparent membrane that lines the inner surface of the eyelid as well as the white of the eye. When the tiny blood vessels in the conjunctiva become inflamed, it causes the white of the eyes to appear reddish or pink in colour.
Conjunctivitis is highly contagious and affects both the young and the old, it rarely disturbs vision except in severe cases. Conjunctivitis usually goes away after few days in some persons, however, treatment will help alleviate the symptoms and also curtail its spread.
Types of conjunctivitis
They're basically 3 major types of conjunctivitis based on their causative agent.
They include;
viral conjunctivitis : viral conjunctivitis are the most common, they are caused by viral strains like adenovirus. It usually starts from one eye before spreading to the other, causing swelling of the lymph node.
bacterial conjunctivitis: this type of conjunctivitis most times affects one eye, both eyes infestation are also possible in some people. This type is caused by bacterial infection of the conjunctiva and its more prevalent in the sub haran region of the world.
Allergic conjunctivitis: this type of conjunctivitis affects both part of the eye, its caused by an allergen such as pollen grain. This allergens are what triggers the irritation and inflammation of the conjunctiva. It is usually accompanied by allergic reactions like sneezing and watery nasal discharge.
Symptoms
The symptoms of conjunctivitis varies and is dependent on the causative agent of the inflammation.
Generally, the symptoms includes;
- Redness of the white of the eye.
- Itchy eyes
- Swollen conjunctiva
- Blurred vision
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Thick and yellowish discharge from the eye
- Increased sensitivity to light
- White discharge from the eye
- More tears than usual
Prevention
There are few tips that can help one stay safe and clear of this eye disorder
They include;
- Avoid sharing personal eye cosmetics with people
- wash your hands regularly, especially after having handshakes with people
- Change your pillow case regularly
- Maintain a good personal hygiene
- Never touch the eyes with dirty hands
- Avoid contact with infected persons as conjunctivitis is very contagious
- Avoid sharing handkerchief, towels or wash clothes with people.
Treatment
Treatment option is always focused on the relieve of the symptoms.
For allergic conjunctivitis, antiallergy medication or eye drop is usually administered for the relieve of the symptoms. Gutt. opatanol is widely used in this regard.
For bacterial conjunctivitis, antibiotic agents and anti-inflammatory agents can be administered for a fast relieve of the symptoms. The antibiotic eye drop mostly employed in this regard is called ciloxan.
For viral conjunctivitis, antibiotic eye drops will have very little or no effect on its treatment, medications always consist of antiviral ointment and antioxidants to help relieve the symptoms.
Conclusion
Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye is a common eye disorder known to affect about 6 million people annually in the united state. Its highly contagious and can spread pretty fast through sharing of eye cosmetics like eye lashes.
Its imperative to always go for a eye check up anytime you experience discomfort in any part of the eye. Never assume or self-medicate as the eye is too delicate to be played with.
Thanks for reading...