Most of the people have doubt in their mind, how contagious is pink eye? How contagious is pink eye, which depends on the type of the pink eye.
What is a pink eye? The medical term for a pink eye is conjunctivitis, and it means inflammation of the conjunctiva. Conjunctiva lines the inside of the eyelids and covers the white portion of the eye called sclera. Most of the people wonders how contagious is a pink eye and what are the reasons behind it. Several reasons like bacteria, viruses, fungi, over-wear of contact lens, or allergy can make the conjunctiva inflamed or red. Pink eye can occur due to infections caused by viruses or bacteria. It is necessary to find out the correct cause in order to determine how contagious is a pink eye.
What is pink eye and how to diagnose it?
If you are wondering what is pink eye, then it is the redness and swelling of the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that lines the eyelid and eye surface. This lining of the eye is transparent, However if an irritation or infection occurs, the lining becomes red and swollen. About 60% of the cases of pink eye are caused due to a virus. It is essential to have a cross-examination of the eye by an eye specialist. How contagious is a pink eye? It depends on the cause of it. The eye specialist will tell what is a pink eye and the exact cause for it. He or she will also suggest an effective treatment for it. You can pour the eye medication drops prescribed by the doctor. How contagious is a pink eye? Pink eye is not so dangerous, and it goes away within seven to ten days.
How Contagious is a Pink eye?
An eye specialist can undoubtedly find out how contagious is pink eye? What is pink eye? The main reason of pink eye is a virus. It is known as Adenovirus, the virus that causes the common cold, which quickly spreads from one eye to the other and gets transferred from one person to the other. It can be spread through the water droplets in the air. However, pink eye mainly gets spread by touch, tears, or mucus. A person affected with pink eye should wash his hands often. It is very necessary to avoid the use of contact lens and eye makeup if you have pink eye. The condition becomes contagious as long as the eye is red and watering. Other pink eye cases like allergy or over wear of contact lens will not turn out to be contagious. Topical antibiotic ointments or eye drops work will activate within 24 hours if the cause is bacterial.
Treatment of Pink Eye
If conjunctivitis is left untreated, then it can lead to inflammation and scarring of the cornea. It can be even lead to permanent loss of vision if ignored. It is crucial to get the apt treatment for pink eye immediately, to minimize the risk for complications. If you have symptoms of reduced vision, light sensitivity, or eye pain, then fix an appointment with an eye specialist immediately. It is because all such symptoms can make the cornea involved. Your doctor may prescribe eye drops and eye ointment to cure the condition. There is also several home remedies that help in faster recovery of pink eye.
How contagious is pink eye? Is it a serious problem? Not at all, if you seek the treatment at the right time. By doing so, you can also prevent it from getting transferred to anyone else. Assure that you are not sharing your personal hygiene items like hand towels or soap with others to prevent infection.