Conjunctivitis is a fairly frequent disease that occurs in people of both sexes and all ages. It is an inflammation of the conjunctiva (mucous membrane of the eye) and is accompanied by characteristic symptoms that differ only slightly depending on the pathogen.
Conjunctivitis often develops due to contact of the mucosa with dirty hands, and that is why in childhood this disease occurs quite often. In more rare cases, it is a complication of a viral or bacterial infection.
The disease is contagious, so when one family member is ill, you need to pay close attention to the separation of personal hygiene items.
It is interesting that the blue-eyed people receive the greatest damage from conjunctivitis for eyesight, which are more sensitive to light.
Symptoms of viral conjunctivitis
Viral conjunctivitis in adults develops in 85% of cases. Often, it is associated with diseases of the upper respiratory tract with herpetic or adenovirus infection .
Accordingly, viral herpes is classified into herpetic conjunctivitis and adenovirus. It is manifested by lacrimation and periodic itching. If there is one eye, after a few days, the disease can manifest itself on the other, and therefore both eyes are treated, as a rule, at once.
With adenoviral conjunctivitis, the disease is preceded by inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, and this is accompanied by a slight increase in temperature and an increase in lymph nodes. It is also possible for a periodic involuntary contraction of the circular muscle of the eye and a non-detached discharge. People with low immunity can develop films and follicles.
Symptoms of bacterial conjunctivitis
Bacterial conjunctivitis is caused by various bacteria, but the general features of the course of the disease still exist, regardless of which bacterium has caused inflammation. First of all, the symptoms are combined by the presence of purulent discharge, which is not present in viral lesions. This results in yellowish or transparent discharge from the eyes, which is felt by the patient especially after awakening - the eyelids stick together to form crusts.
The only exception is the symptoms of chlamydial conjunctivitis - in this case, non-exudative discharge may appear and the conjunctivitis looks sluggish. The difference between chlamydial conjunctivitis is that it often recurses, while other bacteria do not contribute to permanent relapses, and are quickly destroyed by antibiotics. Ophthalmologists relapse on the chlamydial nature of conjunctivitis in the patient. The disease in this case may be acute or chronic. In acute form, there is a strong edema of the eyelids, and then there are purulent discharge, and in chronic form the disease proceeds almost asymptomatically - insignificant photophobia, redness of the eyelids and minor mucous discharge.
Symptoms of angular conjunctivitis (it is caused by Morabs-Axenfeld's diplobacillus) have a vivid manifestation-itching, burning and carving in the corners of the eyes, and mucus with a purulent admixture.
The difference between bacterial conjunctivitis is that the patient feels the presence of a foreign body in the eye, which in fact is not present, and also feels severe dryness around the affected eye.
As with viral infection, in this case, bacteria affect one eye, but soon the disease is transmitted to the second eye.
With bacterial conjunctivitis, the patient can feel pain in the eyes.
Symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis
Allergic conjunctivitis is accompanied by severe itching, burning and pain. There may be swelling of the eyelids. If it goes into a chronic form, then the irritation of the eyes and the feeling of itching become permanent.
Symptoms of chronic conjunctivitis
In chronic form, the patient experiences a feeling of sand in the eyes, burning and itching, as well as eye fatigue .