Pink
Eye Treatment Varies According to the Cause of Infection
If you’ve
ever woken up with eyes that are coated shut with debris, there’s
a chance you have had a pink eye infection. Pink eye infection,
which goes by the scientific name of conjunctivitis, is irritating
and unattractive to have, but pink eye treatment is usually uncomplicated.
While pinkeye (conjunctivitis)
is not normally harmful to your sight, it is highly contagious and
can last for up to two weeks, so you should seek pink eye treatment
as soon as you notice the symptoms.
The treatment of
pink eye is different for everyone because there are several causes
of pink eye infection. Pink eye infection may come from a bacterial
infection, virus, or allergy. Pink eye infection can develop in
newborns because of their passage through the birth canal, and less
frequently, people may catch pink eye through a sexually transmitted
disease. Regardless of the cause, pink eye treatment is important
because pink eye can occasionally lead to complications of the cornea.
Common pink eye treatment advice includes the following:
- If the pink eye infection
is caused by a bacteria or virus, it will be very contagious.
You should avoid going to places where the infection may spread
such as work, school, and other public areas.
- Pink eye infection caused
by bacteria is usually treated with antibiotic eye drops or
eye ointment. One you begin using the pink eye treatment for
bacteria, you can usually return to work or school in one to
two days.
- Pink eye infection caused
by a virus cannot be treated with antibiotics. It simply has
to run its course, but you can use home-care remedies as a pink
eye treatment to relieve the symptoms. A virus-related pink
eye infection usually clears up in 3 to 5 days but may take
up to 20 days to heal on its own, during which time you could
be contagious.
- Pink eye infection caused
by an allergy may respond to an allergy medication. Växa
Aller-Sine is a natural allergy
medication that helps ease allergic reactions, and is an
option as a pink eye treatment for allergic pink eye.
In addition to
medications, there are many home-care remedies for the treatment
of pink eye. First, you should avoid touching and rubbing your eyes
with your hands and you should wash your hands thoroughly. It’s
also important to wash your towel, washcloth, and pillowcase daily
when you have pink eye. Finally, you should not share or borrow
cosmetics (especially mascara), eye drops, and other personal-care
items. It’s probably best not to wear cosmetics when you have
a pink eye infection, as cosmetics may counteract your pink eye
treatment.
One soothing and
effective pink eye treatment is applying a warm compress, such as
a wash cloth soaked in warm water, to affected eyes. Persistent
pink eye symptoms may be an
indication of a more serious problem and should be watched carefully.
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