Causes and Treatment for Conjuctivitis

Conjuctivitis' more common name is getting the pink eye. How did the name conjuctivitis come along? Well, the conjunctiva is the thin, clear membrane over the white part of the eye. It also lines the eyelids. Inflammation of this membrane is then called conjuctivitis.

The most obvious symptom of conjuctivitis is a pink eye. The pink or red color is due to inflammation. Conjuctivitis may also cause your eye to hurt or itch. There are 4 types of conjuctivitis, viral, bacterial, allergic and giant papillary. Viral conjuctivitis affects only one eye usually and causes a light discharge from the eye and even excesssive eye watering. Bacterial conjuctivitis on the other hand affects both eyes and causes a lot of discharge and may be greenish in color. Allergic conjuctivitis also affects both eyes and will cause itching and redness.
Finally, giant papillary conjuctivitis affects both eyes as well and will casuse contact lens intolerance, itching, red bumps on the underside of eyelids and a heavy discharge.

When it comes to giving treatments to conjuctivitis, doctors normally don't prescribe medication for viral conjuctivitis because it usually clears up on its own within a few days. Antibiotic eyedrops will alleviate bacterial conjuctivitis whereas antihistamine allergy pills or eyedrops will help control allergic conjuctivitis symptoms. For giant papillary conjuctivitis, the doctor may prescribe eyedrops to reduce inflammation and itching.

In more serious cases, conjuctivitis sometimes can develop into a more serious condition. It is advised that you see the doctor for a diagnosis before using any eyedrops in your medicine cabinet from previous infections or eye problems as it might not be the appropriate for your situation.