Pink eye

Pink eye is also known as Conjunctivitis. It is generally defined as a redness or irritation of the membrane one the inner surface of the eyelids and the membranes that is conjunctiva covering the whites of the eyes. There membranes reacts to a large number of bacteria, toxic substances, viral infections etc.

Causes of pink eye

It has been known that there are many causes of Pink eye. Some may be infectious while others may be non infectious reasons.

Infections that causes pink eye are as follow: The main cause of the Pink Eye is Virus infection. Viral Pink Eye is highly contagious. There are certain bacteria also which lead to the development of Pink Eye.

The bacteria commonly known are Staphylococci, Pneumococci and streptococci. Pink Eye due to infection with Chlamydia is a rare form of bacterial pink eye. It is commonly seen in natives of Africa and the Middle Eastern countries. Non infectious conditions that lead to pink eye are as follow:

Allergic Pink Eye is commonly seen and its mainly due to seasonal pollens, animal dander and dust.

Chemical Pink Eye is also seen which occurs when any irritating substances enters the eyes. The common offending irritants are household cleaners, smokes, smog, sprays of any type and industrial pollutants, etc. Moreover, Persistent pink eye is a sign of an uncommon underlying illness in the body.

Symptoms of pink eye

In case of a Viral Pink Eye, water discharge is commonly seen. It is usually associated with viral cold like symptoms. The discharge is not a green or yellow colour. In this case, the eyelids may be swollen. Slight looking at bright light is painful.

In case of Bacterial Pink Eye the common eye symptoms are pain in the eye, swelling redness and a moderate to large amount of discharge, that is usually yellow or greenish in colour.

The discharge commonly accumulates after sleeping. Affected children may awaken unhappy that their eyes are stuck shut, requiring as warm wash cloth applied to the eyes to remove the discharge and lots of lots of reassurance that their eyes still work. Allergic Pink Eye shows symptoms like sneezing itchy nose or scratchy throat. Other symptoms are like intense itching, tearing and swelling of the eye membranes.