Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis, as the word suggests, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is a thin transparent membrane that extends from the edge of the eyelid to the eye socket, and participates in the production of the mucous layer of tears. There are three main types, depending on the cause. Bacterial, Viral and Allergic. These three types are further divided into subcategories. The main symptoms are redness, burning sensation, tearing, itching and of course discharge.

Treatment depends on the type and therefore the cause of conjunctivitis. A general guideline for any conjunctivitis is proper hygiene and cleaning of the eyelids and the periocular area with specialized pharmaceutical eyelid hygiene preparations (e.g. impregnated eyelid cleansing gauze). From there, in a bacterial conjunctivitis where the cause is a bacterium/microbe, the use of an antibiotic eye preparation will be necessary, while in the case of allergic conjunctivitis, the use of artificial tears, proper hygiene and in some cases the use of cortisone may be required. In any case, we should contact our ophthalmologist for early diagnosis and treatment.