Also known as pink eye, conjunctivitis is a common ailment in childhood and beyond. Although it is commonly known as pink eye, it can present with a variety of symptoms. Regardless of your exact symptoms, it is extremely contagious. This condition is minor but it can quickly progress to more serious inflammation. It is crucial that people who think they or their children have this disease get to a doctor immediately to get the diagnosis and treatment that they need.
This illness is more common in preschool and school-aged children. However, people of all ages can catch it. It is most commonly caught in schools and daycares, where kids have touched surfaces after rubbing their eyes. Because young people have little knowledge of proper hygiene such as handwashing, they are the most common carriers.
Do you or a loved one have signs of this illness? Read on to learn more about what is happening and how you can effectively treat it.
Signs and Symptoms
Pink eye has obvious and unsightly symptoms. Because the inflammation is in your eyes, it is almost impossible to hide. For many people, the first sign is a reddened, watering eye. The eye often has a great deal of discharge, or “pus.” No matter how often you clean the eye, the discharge will keep coming.
In addition to these common symptoms, many people feel a great deal of discomfort. Their eyes may feel dry and itchy. At times, the eyeball actually hurts. If a child is too young to tell an adult how they are feeling, you will often notice that they are rubbing their eyes and acting more irritable than usual.
In some cases, there is mild swelling around the eye as well. Some people also have poor vision due to the excessive discharge causing blurred sight. If this has happened to you or a loved one, it is time to call the doctor and make an appointment to be seen as soon as possible.
