Conjunctivitis / “Pink” Eye
Conjunctivitis or better known as “pink eye” is a common condition that many individuals encounter in their lifetime at some point. Conjunctivitis eye can occur as a result of many different causes ranging from pathologic to allergic origins. Patients often have chemosis (watery eyes), itchy eyes, and injections (redness). Before treating conjunctivitis, it is best to try to narrow down the origin of the cause of the conjunctivitis. Here at Bellevue Eye Specialists, our eye doctors are professionals on quickly and best treating your pink eye.
Conjunctivitis Symptoms & Causes
Conjunctivitis can cause a variety of symptoms. For most individuals, redness from injections will be present. The licensed optometrist will grade your conjunctival injections on a scale of 1+ to 4+. A 4+ injections grade is severe, compared to 1+ injections which are mild to trace. For some the conjunctivitis symptoms can be more severe and can range from tearing, foreign body sensation, discharge, and burning.
Conjunctivitis can be caused by a multitude of causes, but most commonly due to a bacterial/viral/fungal/acanthamoeba infection or allergic reaction. Your eye care provider will do a careful case history on you and might order some cultures to identify the causative agent.
If you have questions regarding your conjunctivitis symptoms or are curious regarding the cause of your conjunctivitis, please schedule an appointment with our qualified Bellevue Eye Specialists doctors for a slit lamp evaluation and additional testing.
Conjunctivitis Treatment & Risks
Conjunctivitis Treatment can range by a case-to-case basis. The best way to determine the best conjunctivitis treatment for you is to schedule an eye appointment with our talented doctors.
With bacterial conjunctivitis, antibiotics will help fight off the bacterial infection. With viral conjunctivitis, antivirals will help fight off the viral infection. Your licensed eye doctor will determine the best treatment option for you and might potentially work with your primary care provider regarding treatment if you have systemic symptoms as well.
With allergic conjunctivitis, it is important to try to find the cause of the allergic reaction and remove it from the patient’s environment as possible. Steroids are often given in a specific limited dosage with taper for acute allergic conjunctivitis flare-ups. Your provider will determine the best treatment with you and explain the importance of tapering the steroid treatment.
Some palliative treatment would include warm/cold compresses, artificial tears, and Lumify, etc..
To determine the best treatment, please schedule an appointment with our doctors at Bellevue Eye Specialists. Remember that conjunctivitis treatment is done by an individual case-to-case basis. Therefore, to get the best treatment, you must get a professional opinion first. Contact us today for a professional consultation with expert eye doctors.
Citations:
Boyd, Kierstan. “Conjunctivitis: What Is Pink Eye?”. AAO. July 20 2021.
