Prevent & treat eye allergies

The conjunctiva is the thin, clear membrane over the white part of the eye; it also lines the eyelids. Inflammation of this membrane is called conjunctivitis. Its common name, pink eye, can refer to all forms of conjunctivitis, or just to its contagious forms.

Pink Eye Symptoms and Signs

The most obvious symptom of conjunctivitis is, of course, a pink eye. The pink or red color is due to inflammation. Conjunctivitis may also cause your eye to hurt or itch.

How can you tell what type of pink eye you have? The way your eyes feel will give some clues:

• Viral conjunctivitis usually affects only one eye and causes excessive eye watering and a light discharge.
   

• Bacterial conjunctivitis affects both eyes and causes a heavy discharge, sometimes greenish.
   

• Allergic conjunctivitis affects both eyes and causes itching and redness in the eyes and sometimes the nose, as well as excessive tearing.
   

• Giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC) usually affects both eyes and causes contact lens intolerance, itching, a heavy discharge, tearing and red bumps on the underside of the eyelids.

To pinpoint the cause and then choose an appropriate treatment, your doctor will ask some questions, examine your eyes, and possibly collect a sample on a swab to send out for analysis. Give a careful account of the episode, because oftentimes your answers alone with reveal the diagnosis.

What Causes Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)?

Conjunctivitis may be triggered by a virus, bacteria, an allergic reaction (to dust, pollen, smoke, fumes or chemicals) or, in the case of giant papillary conjunctivitis, a foreign body on the eye, typically a contact lens. Bacterial and viral systemic infections also may induce conjunctivitis.

Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) Treatment

Avoidance. Your first line of defense is to avoid the cause of conjunctivitis. Both viral and bacterial conjunctivitis spread easily to others. Here are some tips to avoid spreading the conditions or re-infecting yourself:

• Wash your hands frequently, and avoid touching or rubbing your eyes.
   

• Don't share washcloths, towels or pillowcases with anyone, and wash these items after each use.
   

• Don't share eye drops or cosmetics such as eyeliner, eye shadow or mascara. Replace them after you're healed, to avoid re-infection.
   

• It is unlikely that you'd spread pink eye just by kissing someone! But keep in mind that having your eyes close to someone else's increases the chance of your eye fluids coming into contact with their eyes and infecting them with the bacteria or virus that caused your own pink eye.
   

• Your eye care practitioner may recommend that you discontinue contact lens wear during this time or replace your contact lenses after you're healed.

Warm compresses may help soothe your eyes if you have viral or bacterial conjunctivitis.

To avoid allergic conjunctivitis, keep windows and doors closed on days when the pollen is heavy. Dust and vacuum frequently to alleviate potential allergens in the home. Stay in well-ventilated areas if you're exposed to smoke, chemicals or fumes. Cold compresses can be very soothing.

If you've developed giant papillary conjunctivitis, odds are you're a contact lens wearer. You'll need to stop wearing your contact lenses, at least for a little while. Your eye doctor may also recommend that you switch to a different type of contact lens, to prevent the conjunctivitis from recurring. For example, you might need to go from soft contacts to gas permeable ones, or vice versa, or you might need to switch to a type of lens that you replace more frequently, such as from conventional contact lenses to daily disposable ones. GPC can also result from prosthetics, stitches and more. Your eye doctor will decide if removal is appropriate.

Medication. Doctors don't normally prescribe medication for viral conjunctivitis because it usually clears up on its own within a few days. Antibiotic eye drops will alleviate bacterial conjunctivitis, whereas antihistamine allergy pills or eye drops will help control allergic conjunctivitis symptoms. For giant papillary conjunctivitis, your doctor may prescribe eye drops to reduce inflammation and itching.

Usually, conjunctivitis is a minor eye infection, but sometimes it can develop into a more serious condition. See your eye doctor for a diagnosis before using any eye drops in your medicine cabinet from previous infections or eye problems.