Information about Pink Eye*
WHAT IS CONJUNCTIVITIS?
There are three common varieties of conjunctivitis, viral, allergic, and bacterial. Other causes of conjunctivitis include thermal and ultraviolet burns, chemicals, toxins, overuse of contact lenses, foreign bodies, vitamin deficiency, dry eye, dryness due to inadequate lid closure, exposure to chickens infected with Newcastle disease, epithelial dysplasia (pre-cancerous changes), and some conditions of unknown cause such as sarcoidosis.
Viral conjunctivitis is spread by aerosol or contact of a variety of contagious
viruses, including many that cause the common cold, so that it is often
associated with upper respiratory tract symptoms. Clusters of cases have been
due to transfer on ophthalmic instruments which make contact with the eye (e.g.,
tonometers) and have not been adequately sterilized.
Allergic conjunctivitis occurs more frequently among those with allergic
conditions, with the symptoms having a seasonal correlation. It can also be
caused by allergies to substances such as cosmetics, perfume, protein deposits
on contact lenses, or drugs. It usually affects both eyes, and is accompanied by
swollen eyelids.
Bacterial conjunctivitis is most often caused by pyogenic bacteria such as
Staphylococcus or Streptococcus from the patient's own skin or respiratory
flora. Others are due to infection from the environment (eg insect borne), from
other people (usually by touch- especially in children), but occasionally via
eye makeup or facial lotions. An example of this is conjunctivitis due the the
bacteria Haemophilus influenzae biogroup aegyptius.
Irritant, toxic, thermal and chemical conjunctivitis are associated with
exposure to the specific agents, such as flame burns, irritant plant saps,
irritant gases (e.g., chlorine or hydrochloric acid ('pool acid') fumes),
natural toxins (e.g., ricin picked up by handling castor oil bean necklaces), or
splash injury from an enormous variety of industrial chemicals, the most
dangerous being strongly alkaline materials.
The source of this article is
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this
article is licensed under the
GFDL
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