Seeing pink?
How to deal with conjunctivitis, also known as pink-eye syndrome.
It's that time of year when the changing season brings with it a spate of allergies and infections. One of the more common afflictions in the UAE is conjunctivitis, also known as ‘pink-eye disease'. Dr Sandip Mitra, specialist ophthalmologist, Al Zahra Hospital, Sharjah, gives the low-down on the pink-eye problem.
"Conjunctivitis is broadly described as a condition of the eye where there is an acute inflammation in the ‘conjunctiva' or the outer white layer of the eye ball and the inner surface of the eyelids," he says. "This is, in most cases, caused by infections due to virus or bacteria or various forms of allergen."
According to Dr Mitra, conjunctivitis is most often caused by adenoviral infection. "However, it can also be caused by bacterial infections and seasonal allergies. Remember, both bacterial and viral infections are contagious and can be easily passed from person-to-person through contact with the eye discharge. They are not airborne diseases."
Most common symptoms
Interestingly, conjunctivitis can be allergic, bacterial, viral or chemical by nature. "The most common symptoms of having pink eyes are redness in the eyes, a watery discharge, sensitivity to light and a feeling of having grains of sand in the eyes.
"When afflicted with a viral conjunctivitis," says Dr Mitra, "a patient often gets other symptoms like an infection of the upper respiratory tract, a cold and a bad throat. In its most severe form, the patient can have other issues like earache, fever and body pain. In some cases, the vision gets affected, too. In some patients, a very prominent characteristic of a viral disease is because of the preauricular lymph node (a small pea-head swelling in front of the auricle or ear which is a lymphatic gland termed as pre auricular lymph node. This is a telltale sign of viral conjunctivitis).
"This is why one may notice a small swelling in front of the ears. When this happens, eyes can get sticky in the morning and have a yellowish discharge. Since there is difficulty in opening the eyes, one must wash the eyes well or use water-soaked cotton wool to clean the eyes."
"Seasonal conjunctivitis," he says, "does not bring fever along with it but there is usually intense itching and the eyes experience a lot of mucous discharge. It is also associated with other forms of allergies like skin eczema or breathing problems like asthma. It gets worse when the weather gets hots and humid and children exposed to direct sunlight suffer a lot.
Known as vernal keratoconjunctivitis, the condition among children improves if they are asked to use simple cold eyewashes. I insist on them wearing quality sunglasses and a sun hat at all times. In some cases, eye drops may have to be prescribed. At all times, parents should ensure their children avoid rubbing their eyes continuously. This action may lead to the weakening of the cornea and eyesight may get affected."
How to deal with conjunctivitis
- Keep the infected part of the eye isolated and do not touch it.
- The eye can be cleaned by using baby wipes and disposing of them after every single use. Throw them directly into a waste bin and do not keep them lying around.
- Do not use common tissue paper to clean your eye and then keep it to reuse. This encourages reinfection which will persist for longer.
- Wash your hands whenever you touch your eyes.
- Never share towels and bedding.
- Take time off from work for the initial four to seven days or until your eyes get back to normal.
- Children should stay away from school as it is too difficult for them to refrain from touching their eyes.
- Wash your eyes with either plain or mineral water. You may also use sterile water to clean the eyes. Frequent eyewash is the key to keeping the eyes clean and clear of discharge. The use of bottled sterile seawater as eyewash is easy to use and a good option.
- Do not use any home remedies like honey, rose water, cold tea bags, etc.
- At the first sign of conjunctivitis, consult a doctor. Or else you might be at risk of converting a pink-eye to a more complicated conjunctivitis.
Avoid self-medication
- Do not use handkerchiefs. Only use single-use, disposable tissue paper.
- Self-medication is the worst thing you can subject your eyes to during this time. Whatever condition your eyes may be in, consult an ophthalmologist. Whether you treat it or not, it will die its own death in 4-7 days. In rare cases, if it gets worse, it needs special treatment.
- Viral conjunctivitis requires minimal medication. However, bacterial conjunctivitis needs antibiotics. Remember, the indiscriminate use of steroids is harmful for the eyes.
- Wear sunglasses when afflicted with pink-eye syndrome. Contrary to popular belief that it spreads by eye contact, the infection only spreads when you touch the infected person.
- If you wear contact lenses in your day-to-day life, wear spectacles instead when affected by conjunctivitis.
- Avoid touching your eyes when you have conjunctivitis if you use computer keyboards, telephones, doorknobs, etc, as these pass on the germs upon contact.n Wash hands frequently or use a hand sanitiser or wet cleansing tissues.
- Expect glare to hurt you for at least a week. But if you have continued difficulties with vision, the eye (s) needs medical supervision.
- If you have a bout of viral conjunctivitis, increase your intake of vitamin C in the form of fresh fruit, particularly kiwi and other citrus fruits. These help you build immunity.
- Allergic conjunctivitis also comes from staying indoors in a centralised air-conditioned atmosphere.
Discard eye drops soon after the condition has cleared up
- If using eye drops suggested by your ophthalmologist, discard them immediately once the conjunctivitis has gone. Do not keep them for future use. Also, once the bottle is opened for use, it has a shelf life of one month.
- All pink eye should not be treated as conjunctivitis. It could be a simple case of inflammation, or uveitis (an inflammation of one of the inner layers of the eye) which manifests itself as pink eye. The patient should not delay their visit to the eye specialist if this happens as it could lead to blindness if not treated early). It could also be the result of a systemic disease; and it could also be due to high eye pressure (glaucoma). It is therefore, necessary that you visit your ophthalmologist instead of coming to conclusions about it.
- Do not share your medicine.
- Pink eye may also be caused by a herpes virus. This can get worse if steroids are being taken.
Buying over-the-counter steroid eye drops to treat the condition is not advised. It could be dangerous and harmful to the eyes.
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