(Pink Eye first appeared in the Public Opinion Newspaper in April 2015.)
You can’t mistake the tell-tale sign of this highly contagious childhood illness—pink eye. Dr. Erin Hannagan shares what you need to know about this common health issue.
What is pink eye?
Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines the surface of the eyelids and the eye. Usually this membrane is transparent but when it is inflamed it looks pink or red. This is why conjunctivitis is commonly referred to as pink eye. All conjunctivitis is characterized by a red or pink eye, but not all eyes that are red have conjunctivitis.
Types of pink eye
There are many types of conjunctivitis—bacterial, viral and allergic. For kids, the most common issue is bacterial pink eye. This is when bacteria enter the eye and cause irritation. The symptoms of bacterial pink eye include eye redness and irritation and thick green or yellow drainage. It can affect one or both eyes. This is highly contagious.
It’s a virus
Viral pink eye is caused by a virus and will resolve on its own. The treatment for viral pink eye is to simply treat the symptoms—antibiotics won’t help. This type of pink eye is usually associated with other symptoms like fever, sore throat, and upper respiratory symptoms. It is more likely to affect both eyes and the drainage from the eye is typically clear and watery. This is also highly contagious.
Important to know
Pink eye, except for allergic pink eye, is spread through direct contact with the eye drainage of a sick person and can easily live on contaminated objects and surfaces. Good hand washing and cleaning any contaminated surfaces will help to reduce the spread. Seek medical care immediately if your child experiences reduced vision, redness that is worse around the iris, light sensitivity, difficulty keeping the eye open or severe headache and nausea.
Talk to your health care provider
It is important to have your child seen by a health care professional if they have pink or red eyes and significant drainage rather than requesting treatment over the phone. There are other causes of these symptoms that are difficult to distinguish from typical cases of pink eye without an exam. Some of these must be treated appropriately in a timely fashion or children could develop serious complications like blindness.
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