Conjunctivitis is commonly known as pink eye and is a really uncomfortable eye condition, that a number of people suffer from due to allergies or infection. Generally, the medicine given to you by your doctor or optometrist should work, but sometimes we don’t have the patience to wait for it to work. If you are one of those people, then washing the eyes out with eye drops should help. If you wear contact lenses then it is best to remove them, and if you wear makeup around your eyes, make sure that it isn’t making your pink eye worse. If it continues to get worse, then you may need some kind of antibiotic to clear it up properly.
There are different kinds of pink eye to contend with but they will all make your eyes the colour red, the eyes will water, and they will be itchy. Symptoms vary for each strain which means treating conjunctivitis differently, and we will look at some of them now.
- Viral – Viral pink eye can affect both of your eyes and you might experience some sensitivity to bright light. This type is easily spread and is quite difficult to take care of. It may last for up to three weeks. The best way to treat this type is to keep the area clean, and in more difficult cases, corticosteroids may have to be administered.
- Bacterial – Conjunctivitis, which is bacterial will result in yellow or green discharge from the eyes which may cause them to stick together. Both eyes may experience the same symptoms and it is quite contagious. It is best to visit your doctor in this situation and maybe get some antibiotics to clear it up.
- Allergic – Conjunctivitis is quite common in its allergic form, and many people suffer from this. You will get the typical symptoms associated with allergies, like a runny nose. Thankfully, this strain is not contagious and you can usually take care of it at home. If it doesn’t clear up and is causing you some major discomfort, then go see your doctor.
You can treat pink eye from home by using medication bought at your local chemist. Allergy medication is a good starting point and if it clears up, all well and good. If it doesn’t after a few days, then it is probably caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Try using an antihistamine which should reduce histamines and relieve your symptoms. You can also use a decongestant to control the inflammation in your eyes. It is important to keep the area in and around your eye clean, and when doing this use a clean tissue to rub from the inside corner of your eye towards the outside. This way, you are moving the discharge away from your ducts and out of your eye.
Eye drops are the go to medication that is fairly easy to get in any local pharmacy, and it really helps with the symptoms you will experience. These saline lubricants are put there to replace tears and so washes the eye out and removes bacteria.