- Redness or swelling of the white of the eye or inside the eyelid
- Increased amount of tears
- White, yellow or green eye discharge
- Itchy eyes
- Burning eyes
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Gritty feeling in the eye
- Crusting of eyelids or lashes
Among the patients that a pediatrician sees on a typical day at the office, at least one child usually presents with a red eye (pink eye). This is an infection of the clear membrane covering the white of the eye and the underside of the eyelid. The cause can be viral, bacterial or an allergic response. Bacterial conjunctivitis is the most prevalent cause of conjunctivitis. This is because when a child has an irritated eye he will rub it, thereby secondarily infecting the eye with bacteria. Children easily spread the infection through direct contact with the discharge, or through items they have touched such as towels, desks and toys.
Some of the most common ways to get the contagious form of pink eye:
Bacterial conjunctivitis is often associated with ear infections, sinus infections and a yellow-green eye discharge. Bacterial conjunctivitis is the most common cause of pink eye in preschool children. Viral conjunctivitis is usually associated with non strep sore throats and a whitish mucousy discharge from the eye. Allergic conjunctivitis has a stringy, clear eye discharge.
Symptoms vary, but usually include:
Treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis aims to shorten the illness, lower the recurrence rate, reduce the contagiousness of infection, eradicate the causative germ and improve quality of life for the child. This treatment usually involves the use of antibiotic eye drops.
Prevention:
Practicing good hygiene can help prevent the spread of
conjunctivitis. If a child is infected, make sure to do the following to
help prevent the spread of the illness: