Eye conjunctivitis is commonly referred to as pink eye or as sore eyes, and the symptoms of pink eye are important to identify. It is a disease that affects the eyes and is an irritation and inflammation of the membrane that covers the eye. Pink eye gets its name from the pinkish color your eyes take on as they are ravaged by this menacing disease. Pink eye is common in areas that have suffered flooding.
Pink eye can be caused by a lot of different things. However, these are the most common: allergic reactions, foreign objects such as contacts left for too long in the eye, bacteria from not washing your hands properly, and even the sharing of eye make-ups. If you have young children make sure their bedding is being washed and changed regularly and they are taught the importance of proper hand washing and not touching their eyes.
It's important to note that only a doctor can truly diagnose anything and this article is only meant to educate.
Key Points of Pink Eye Symptoms
- Pink Eye simply refers to an infection of the eye and can be caused by a lot of different things.
- Most viral infections will clear up in a few days as long you follow your doctor's instructions.
- Pink eye can spread to the other eye and it is vital to visit a doctor at the first suspicion of the infection.
The early symptoms of pink eye begin with the sensation that something is in your eye, maybe a piece of grit. This comes on so suddenly that you really do believe that you have something in your eye. As you try to remove what it is that is irritating your eye, you only bring about more eye irritation. In the corners of your eye, you begin to notice irritation as your eye is bothered.
As the disease progresses, the symptoms of pink eye change. You start to develop a pinkish appearance in your eye and your eye starts to produce excess tearing. This tearing can cause your vision to become very blurry and make it difficult to read. It can even make your pillow visibly wet. You may also begin to experience pain and pressure on your eyeball when you need to stand up or put any pressure on your body. You may also experience fever or the need to sleep more than usual. You'll also be sensitive to light and when you wake in the morning, you may find your eyes crusted over.
The symptoms of pink eye in viral infections will begin to decrease in 2 to 3 days unless you infected your other eye and then you will begin to suffer the symptoms in your other eye. If you get symptoms of pink eye in your second eye, the symptoms may be more painful than in the first. Bacterial infections need the help of medicine to clear up, but luckily they are less common.
Pink eye is a very irritating illness. It is worse than many other illnesses and it can force you to take breaks that you do not want to. It's a good idea to visit your doctor when you first notice symptoms of pink eye to ensure that it is not bacterial pink eye.