Conjunctivitis, also commonly known as pink eye, is an inflammation of the tissue that lines the eyelids and the whites of your eyes. It is a very common disease, characterized by redness in the eyes, itchiness, and either watery or thick discharge. This infection can be caused by viral or bacterial forms, both of which are highly contagious. The viral form involves watery discharge and tends to last longer than the bacterial form. Additionally, allergies can cause your eyes to become inflamed and cause conjunctivitis-like symptoms. Even exposure to harsh chemicals can lead to conjunctivitis symptoms. Although treatable, it’s always best to minimize your risk of developing the infection in the first place. Let’s look at how you can protect your eyes from infections like pink eye.
Preventative Measures
The first way you can protect your eyes from conjunctivitis is by washing your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds each time you wash them. This will help reduce the spread of germs that may cause infections like pink eye. Also make sure you avoid touching or rubbing your eyes unless you have just washed your hands first. If you wear contacts lenses, make sure that they are cleaned regularly according to their instructions so as not to contaminate them with any germs that may exist on them from previous wearings. You should also replace your contact lenses every two weeks as recommended by their manufacturer since they do collect bacteria over time leading to potential infection risks if left unchanged for too long.
If you suspect that someone near you has conjunctivitis or pink eye, try not to touch surfaces they have been in contact with or share anything with them such as towels or pillows that could contain traces of the virus/bacteria causing it until they have fully recovered from their infection (usually 2-3 weeks). Additionally, never share makeup as this could easily transfer bacteria from one person’s face to another’s if used without proper sanitization beforehand - a major source of spreading conjunctivitis around! Finally, if someone near you has had a recent diagnosis for pink eye then make sure all surfaces in their environment (which includes door handles & light switches) are wiped down using a disinfectant spray made specifically for killing off viruses & bacteria on surfaces such as these in order to reduce chances of getting infected yourself via indirect contact.
Conjunctivitis is a very common disease characterized by redness in the whites of the eyes, itchiness and either watery or thick discharge caused mainly by viral or bacterial forms but sometimes allergies too! As treatable as it is though it’s better to minimize our risk of getting it in the first place through simple preventative measures such as frequent handwashing; avoiding touching/rubbing our eyes; replacing contact lenses every two weeks; not sharing items with those who are infected; and making sure all surfaces around someone who has recently been diagnosed with pink eye get wiped down using disinfectant spray made specifically for killing off viruses & bacteria on surfaces such as these! With these simple steps we can ensure our vision remains healthy & free of infection!