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Pink Eye may be caused by a viral infection,
such as a cold, acute respiratory infection, or disease such as
measles, herpes simplex, or herpes zoster. Symptoms include mild to
severe discomfort in one or both eyes, redness, swelling of the
eyelids, and watery, yellow, or green discharge. Symptoms may last
anywhere from several days to two weeks. Infection with an
adenovirus, however, may also cause a significant amount of pus-like
discharge and a scratchy, foreign body-type of sensation in the eye.
This may also be accompanied by swelling and tenderness of the lymph
nodes near the ear.
Bacterial pink eye can occur in adults and
children and is caused by organisms such as Staphylococcus,
Streptococcus, and Hemophilus. Symptoms of bacterial
pink eye include a pus-like discharge and crusty eyelids after
awakening. Redness of the conjunctiva can be mild to severe and may
be accompanied by swelling. Persons with symptoms of pink eye
who are sexually active may possibly be infected with the bacteria
that cause either gonorrhea or chlamydia. There may be large amounts
of pus-like discharge, and symptoms may include intolerance to light
(photophobia), watery mucous discharge, and tenderness in the lymph
nodes near the ear that may persist for up to three months.
Pink Eye may also be caused by
environmental hazards, such as wind, smoke, dust, and allergic
reactions caused by pollen, dust, or grass. Symptoms range from
itching and redness to a mucous discharge. Persons who wear contact
lenses may develop allergic pink eye caused by the various eye
solutions and foreign proteins contained in them.
Other less common causes of pink eye
include exposure to sun lamps or the electrical arcs used during
welding, and problems with inadequate drainage of the tear ducts. |
