Conjunctivitis Junction, What’s Your Function? Back To School Edition

The dreaded pink eye! Everyone’s heard of it, most people have had it, it’s extremely contagious, uncomfortable, and unsurprisingly nobody wants it!

While pink eye, or conjunctivitis, tends to surge in communities during the spring and summer months or later winter depending on the type, back to school time is when a lot of bugs are starting to be passed around between kids as they interact in large, contained groups.

Pink eye is an inflammation in your eyes that occurs when the thin, clear mucous membrane that covers your white part of your eyes, the conjunctiva, becomes irritated by either viral and bacterial infection or an allergic reaction to environmental stimuli causing a histamine reaction in the eye.

Pink eye has some of the most recognizable symptoms of any common infection with its swollen, puffy eyelids, pink or redness in the whites of the eye, watery, itchy eyes that can feel like their irritated and burning, pus or mucous discharges, and crusty eyelids.

Pink eye can also cause blurry vision due to the thick mucus discharge and tearing, and inflammation can often make your eyes sensitive to light.

All around, conjunctivitis it is one of the most familiar, common, and uncomfortable infections we all have to look out for or begrudgingly look forward to!

Viral and Bacterial Pink Eye

Viral and bacterial pink eye are both extremely contagious and can be spread easily in groups of children where there is often considerable close contact, communal objects, tools, and shared surfaces.

Most cases of viral conjunctivitis are caused but adenoviruses, the same virus that causes the common cold and flu. Viral pink eye spreads easily through hand-to-eye contact via contaminated surfaces or items, or airborne respiratory droplets.

Bacterial conjunctivitis on the other hand, is caused by staphylococcus or streptococcus, bacteria that can also cause boils and cellulitis in the case of staph, and strep throat, scarlet fever, or pneumonia in the case of strep. Bacterial pink eye is also highly contagious in the same way through sprea hand-to-eye contact, contaminated surfaces, or airborne respiratory droplets.

As the school year gets going, so does the spread of common colds, flus, and related infections. Since pink eye is caused by the same viruses and bacteria, flu season can also be called pink eye season, even if it doesn’t have quite the same ring to it…

Allergic Pink Eye

Allergic pink eye is a little different; while it results in much the same symptoms as viral or bacterial pink eye, it is caused by environmental allergies to dust, pollen or pet dander and is not contagious.

Allergic pink eye tends to peak at the same time as trees, grasses, and weeds are in the fullest pollen laden display in spring and summer, when molds and other outdoor allergens are also in full bloom.

Pink Eye Treatments

Viral pink eye will generally clear up on its own in one to two weeks and is usually not treated with antibiotics.

Bacterial pink eye should get better in 2 to 5 days. Your eye doctor may prescribe antibiotic eye drops or ointment to help reduce the infection and prevent it from spreading.

Allergic pink eye is treated with over-the-counter allergy eye drops and antihistamines.

Back to School with Pink Eye?

Definitely not! Simply put, if your child has symptoms of pink eye, whether you’re aware of what kind it is or not, it is best practice to keep your child home from school or daycare.

Anyone concerned they or their children may have conjunctivitis should see their eye doctor or their primary physician for the best treatment options or recommendations for symptom relief.

Back to School with Optical Expressions