What is Conjunctivitis?

Conjunctivitis is an infection that covers the whites of the eyes and the inside of the eyelids. If your eyes are red and feel like sand has escaped, you may have conjunctivitis. If your eyes don't improve after a day or two, you should go see an eye doctor as this could be a sign of a serious problem.

Conjunctivitis is caused by bacteria and viruses. Many particles (including sand, dust, and pollen) that enter the eye can cause irritation. If the conjunctivitis is caused by bacteria, you'll wake up with blisters on your eyelids.

Conjunctivitis is caused by bacteria and viruses and is easily transmitted from person to person. It is common in school-age children. This is more likely to happen when adults dry their eyes too much. Conjunctivitis usually clears up on its own within a few days. However, in rare cases, it can lead to more serious eye problems such as glaucoma or eyelid infection.

Symptoms of conjunctivitis include tearing, redness, or pain in the eyes. You may feel a gritty feeling in your eyes and experience discomfort, stinging, or burning. If you have a yellow or white discharge from your eyes while you sleep, you most likely have a bacterial infection.

If you have pain in your eyes, it could be a sign of a viral infection. If you have had episodes of itching within a short period of time, your symptoms may be due to an allergy. If these symptoms occur around the same time each year, you likely have an allergy.

If you have eye pain, sudden changes in vision, or eye pain that increases in light, you should see a doctor right away. These could be a sign of a serious problem. If you wear contact lenses and have symptoms of conjunctivitis, remove your contact lenses and see a doctor.

See a doctor right away if your baby has symptoms of conjunctivitis. Some bacteria that cause eye redness can cause other serious infections in babies. Doctors usually don't do tests to find out what's causing the eye redness. The problem usually goes away before the test results are available. Doctors treat eye redness with antibiotic eye drops or ointments.

What treatment methods are there?

Eye redness usually goes away on its own, but if it's caused by bacteria, antibiotics, ointments, or drops may help it heal faster.

If your eye problem is due to allergies, your doctor will prescribe cromolyn sodium eye drops or antihistamines. These eye drops are also rarely used to treat eye infections caused by viruses.

Things that you can do at home

If you have a rash in your eyes, there are some things you can do to prevent it from spreading to other people and to relieve the symptoms. Keep your eyes clean by wiping them with a cloth dipped in warm water. Do not let anyone else use this cloth. Do not share pillows or towels with others. If you think you have allergic conjunctivitis, try to find the cause of the allergy so you can try to avoid it.

About 2 in 3 people with conjunctivitis recover completely within two to five days without treatment. The infection rarely causes serious problems.