Why does conjunctivitis occur

Sometimes flushing and cleaning the eye to rid it of the chemical or object causes redness and irritation. Signs and symptoms, which may include watery eyes and a mucous discharge, usually clear up on their own within about a day. If initial flushing doesn't resolve the symptoms, or if the chemical is a caustic one such as lye, you need to be seen by your doctor or eye specialist as soon as possible.

A chemical splash into the eye can cause permanent eye damage. Persistent symptoms could also indicate that you still have the foreign body in your eye — or possibly a scratch over the cornea or the covering of the eyeball sclera. In both children and adults, pink eye can cause inflammation in the cornea that can affect vision. Prompt evaluation and treatment by your doctor for eye pain, a feeling that something is stuck in your eye foreign body sensation , blurred vision or light sensitivity can reduce the risk of complications.

Keep in mind that pink eye is no more contagious than the common cold. It's okay to return to work, school or child care if you're not able to take time off — just stay consistent in practicing good hygiene. Newborns' eyes are susceptible to bacteria normally present in the mother's birth canal.

These bacteria cause no symptoms in the mother. In rare cases, these bacteria can cause infants to develop a serious form of conjunctivitis known as ophthalmia neonatorum, which needs treatment without delay to preserve sight. That's why shortly after birth, an antibiotic ointment is applied to every newborn's eyes. The ointment helps prevent eye infection. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Pink eye conjunctivitis Open pop-up dialog box Close. Pink eye conjunctivitis Pink eye conjunctivitis is the inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane that lines your eyelid and eyeball.

Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Preferred practice pattern: Conjunctivitis. San Francisco, Calif. Accessed June 2, Careful flushing of the eyes with saline is a standard treatment for chemical conjunctivitis. People with chemical conjunctivitis also may need to use topical steroids.

Severe chemical injuries, particularly alkali burns, are medical emergencies and can lead to scarring, damage to the eye or the sight, or even loss of the eye. If a chemical spills in your eye, flush the eye for several minutes with a lot of water before seeing your medical provider. Contact lens wearers may need to temporarily stop wearing their lenses while the condition is active. If conjunctivitis is due to wearing contact lenses, a doctor of optometry may recommend switching to a different type of contact lens or disinfection solution.

A doctor of optometry might need to change the contact lens prescription to a lens that is replaced more frequently. This can help prevent conjunctivitis from recurring. Practicing good hygiene is the best way to control the spread of conjunctivitis. Once an infection has been diagnosed, follow these steps:.

Soothe the discomfort of viral or bacterial conjunctivitis by applying warm compresses to your affected eye or eyes. To make a compress, soak a clean cloth in warm water and wring it out before applying it gently to your closed eyelids. For allergic conjunctivitis, avoid rubbing the eyes.

Instead of warm compresses, use cool compresses to soothe your eyes. Over-the-counter eye drops might also help. Antihistamine eye drops can alleviate the symptoms, and lubricating eye drops can rinse the allergen off the surface of the eye. See your doctor of optometry if you think you have conjunctivitis.

He or she can diagnose the cause and prescribe the proper treatment. With so many causes, there is no one preventive measure. Early diagnosis and treatment will help prevent the condition from becoming worse. Avoiding allergy triggers as much as possible also helps. Frequent hand washing and keeping hands away from eyes also can make a difference, even when no problems are present. Acanthamoeba is one of the most common organisms in the environment. Although it rarely causes infection, when it does occur, it can threaten your vision.

Amblyopia—also known as lazy eye—is the loss or lack of development of clear vision in one or both eyes. Forgot username or password? You do not have access to this content. Join the AOA today! Eye and Vision Conditions.

Causes may or may not be infectious. Allergic conjunctivitis Allergic conjunctivitis occurs more commonly among people who already have seasonal allergies. They develop it when they come into contact with a substance that triggers an allergic reaction in their eyes.

Giant papillary conjunctivitis is a type of allergic conjunctivitis caused by the chronic presence of a foreign body in the eye.

People who wear hard or rigid contact lenses, wear soft contact lenses that are not replaced frequently, have an exposed suture on the surface of the eye or have a prosthetic eye are more likely to develop this form of conjunctivitis.

Infectious conjunctivitis Bacterial conjunctivitis is an infection most often caused by staphylococcal or streptococcal bacteria from your own skin or respiratory system.

Insects, physical contact with other people, poor hygiene touching the eye with unclean hands , or using contaminated eye makeup and facial lotions can also cause the infection. Antazoline with xylometazoline Otrivine-Antistin is also available over the counter from pharmacies without prescription.

If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, some antihistamine eye drops may not be suitable. Speak to your GP for advice. If possible, oral antihistamines shouldn't be taken if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. Although new antihistamines shouldn't make you drowsy, they may still have a sedating effect. This is more likely if you take high doses or drink alcohol while you're taking antihistamines.

Mast cell stabilisers are an alternative type of medicine. Unlike antihistamines, they won't provide rapid symptom relief, but they are better at controlling your symptoms over a longer period of time.

It may take several weeks to feel the effects of a mast cell stabiliser, so you may also be prescribed an antihistamine to take at the same time. If your symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis are particularly severe, you may be prescribed a short course of topical corticosteroids a cream, gel or ointment. However, these aren't usually prescribed unless absolutely necessary. As giant papillary conjunctivitis is usually caused by contact lenses, the symptoms often clear up after you stop wearing them.

The spots that form on the inside of your upper eyelid may last slightly longer. If you develop giant papillary conjunctivitis as a result of recent eye surgery, you'll be immediately referred to an ophthalmologist. This is so that your eyes can be carefully monitored and the most effective treatment given. Most cases of irritant conjunctivitis don't need any treatment, as the condition should clear up once the irritant is removed from the eye. An exception to this is if your eyes were exposed to harmful substances such as bleach or acid.

This is usually regarded as a medical emergency and you'll need to be admitted to hospital so your eyes can be washed out with saline solution. Complications of conjunctivitis depend on whether the condition is an infection infective conjunctivitis or an allergic reaction allergic conjunctivitis. If conjunctivitis has been caused by a sexually transmitted infection STI , particularly chlamydia, the infection may last several months, rather than weeks.

Infective conjunctivitis caused by any type of bacteria can result in a number of complications, particularly in babies born prematurely before week 37 of pregnancy. In newborn babies neonates up to 28 days old, infective conjunctivitis can lead to a severe and rapidly progressive eye infection. If your newborn baby is found to have infective conjunctivitis, they'll immediately be referred for specialist assessment and treatment. Their condition will be closely monitored.

Complications of infective conjunctivitis are rare and most babies make a full recovery. After having infective conjunctivitis caused by chlamydia, around one in five babies may develop pneumonia. This is a potentially life-threatening condition in young babies and may need treatment in hospital. If your conjunctivitis is caused by an allergic reaction to pollen, dust mites or similar seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis , it's very rare to experience any serious complications.

However, you may find your reoccurring symptoms frustrating. For example, if your conjunctivitis is caused by pollen, you may find it difficult to go outside during the spring and summer months without triggering your symptoms. This type of allergic conjunctivitis can affect your daily life and could make it difficult for you to concentrate at work or school, particularly if your eyes are severely irritated.

Although this can affect your quality of life, it shouldn't cause any long-term health problems. Some types of conjunctivitis can cause a condition called keratitis. Keratitis is where your cornea the front of your eye becomes swollen.

This can be painful and make your eyes sensitive to light photophobia. Ulcers sometimes form on the cornea. If the ulcers scar your cornea, your vision may be permanently damaged.

Home Illnesses and conditions Eyes Conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About conjunctivitis 2. Symptoms of conjunctivitis 3. Causes of conjunctivitis 4. Diagnosing conjunctivitis 5. Treating conjunctivitis 6. Complications of conjunctivitis. About conjunctivitis Community optometry practices opticians have resumed providing routine eyecare services in all settings. People often refer to conjunctivitis as red eye. Read more about the symptoms of conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis can affect one eye at first, but usually affects both eyes after a few hours.

What causes conjunctivitis? The conjunctiva can become inflamed as a result of: a bacterial or viral infection — this is known as infective conjunctivitis an allergic reaction to a substance such as pollen or dust mites — this is known as allergic conjunctivitis the eye coming into contact with things that can irritate the conjunctiva, such as shampoo or chlorinated water, or a loose eyelash rubbing against the eye — this is known as irritant conjunctivitis Read more about the causes of conjunctivitis Treating conjunctivitis Treatment isn't usually needed for conjunctivitis, because the symptoms often clear up within a couple of weeks.

Irritant conjunctivitis will clear up as soon as whatever is causing it is removed. Washing your hands regularly and not sharing pillows or towels will help prevent it spreading.

Read more about treating conjunctivitis See your GP immediately if you have: eye pain sensitivity to light photophobia disturbed vision intense redness in one eye or both eyes a newborn baby with conjunctivitis.

Eye problems self-help guide Find out more about your symptoms, when you can use self-care, and what to do if your condition worsens and you need medical help. Work and school Public Health Scotland PHS advises that you don't need to stay away from work or school if you or your child has conjunctivitis, unless you or they are feeling particularly unwell.

Complications Conjunctivitis can be a frustrating condition — particularly allergic conjunctivitis — but in most cases it doesn't pose a serious threat to health. Complications of conjunctivitis are rare, but when they do occur they can be serious and include: a severe case of allergic conjunctivitis can lead to scarring in the eye in cases of infective conjunctivitis, the infection can spread to other areas of the body, triggering more serious secondary infections, such as meningitis Read more about the complications of conjunctivitis.

Symptoms of conjunctivitis The symptoms of conjunctivitis will depend on what's causing the condition. However, the two main symptoms are usually: eye redness — as a result of the inflammation and widening of the tiny blood vessels in the conjunctiva the thin layer of cells covering the front of the eyes a discharge — the conjunctiva contains thousands of cells that produce mucus and tiny glands that produce tears — inflammation causes the glands to become overactive, so that they produce more water and mucus Only one eye tends to be affected at first, but symptoms usually affect both eyes within a few hours.

Infective conjunctivitis If you have infective conjunctivitis, you may also have: a burning sensation in your eyes a feeling of grit in your eyes a sticky coating on the eyelashes — usually when you first wake up in the morning an enlarged lymph node gland in front of the ear Allergic conjunctivitis You may have itchy eyes if you have allergic conjunctivitis.

The pattern of symptoms for allergic conjunctivitis depends on the substance you're allergic to. You can have an allergy to: tree pollen, released during spring grass pollen, released during the end of spring and beginning of summer weed pollen, released any time from early spring to late autumn It's highly likely that the pollen will also cause other symptoms, such as sneezing and a runny or blocked nose.

This type of conjunctivitis carries a high risk of complications, so you need to seek medical advice as soon as possible When to seek medical advice Most cases of conjunctivitis aren't a cause for concern, but you should contact your GP if you think you have it, particularly if you think it's related to wearing contact lenses.

Your GP can check whether there's a more serious underlying cause of your symptoms. When to seek immediate medical advice The following symptoms could be the sign of a more serious eye condition: pain in your eyes sensitivity to light photophobia disturbed vision intense redness in one eye or both eyes Contact your GP immediately if you experience any of these symptoms. Causes of conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis is a condition that occurs when the conjunctiva a thin layer of cells covering the front of your eyes becomes inflamed.

The three most common causes of this inflammation are: infection infective conjunctivitis an allergic reaction allergic conjunctivitis something irritating the conjunctiva, such as a loose eyelash irritant conjunctivitis These are discussed in more detail below. Infective conjunctivitis Eye infections are most commonly caused by: bacteria — for example, the strains of bacteria that often cause lung and ear infections a virus — most commonly an adenovirus that may also cause a sore throat and high temperature fever sexually transmitted infections STIs — such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea Viral conjunctivitis causes a watery discharge, while the discharge from bacterial conjunctivitis contains pus.

Spreading the infection You're more likely to develop infective conjunctivitis if you've been in close contact with someone who's already infected with it. Risk groups You may be more at risk of getting infective conjunctivitis if: you're old or young — it's more common in children and the elderly, possibly because children come into contact with more infections at school, and elderly people may have a weaker immune system you've recently had an upper respiratory tract infection — such as a cold you have diabetes or another condition that weakens your immune system — as you may be more vulnerable to infections you're taking corticosteroids steroids — which can weaken your immune system you have blepharitis inflammation of the rims of the eyelids — which can be caused by a bacterial infection and may lead to conjunctivitis you've been in a crowded place — such as a busy train Allergic conjunctivitis Allergic conjunctivitis is caused when your eyes come into contact with an allergen a particular substance that causes your immune system to react abnormally.

There are four main types of allergic conjunctivitis: seasonal allergic conjunctivitis perennial allergic conjunctivitis contact dermatoconjunctivitis giant papillary conjunctivitis Seasonal and perennial conjunctivitis Seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis are usually caused by: pollen from grass, trees or flowers dust mites flakes of dead animal skin These types of conjunctivitis are more common in people who also have other allergies, such as asthma , and often occur with allergic rhinitis.