Understanding Conjunctivitis: Causes, Types, and Symptoms

Having red, itchy eyes might mean you have what’s known as conjunctivitis. Also called pink eye, this eye inflammation can make one or both eyes irritated and uncomfortable. At AssureVision, our “optometrist near me,” Dr. Lomazov, can examine your eyes, determine the cause, and provide treatment. We serve patients in Arlington Heights, IL, Barrington, IL, and Glenview, IL.

Types of Conjunctivitis

To make sure you get the right treatment, you’ll need to know what kind of conjunctivitis you have. A few types of pink eye can cause similar symptoms. These different types include viral, bacterial, and allergic conjunctivitis. Another type results from eye irritation, such as having a foreign object in your eye. Our optometry team can examine your eyes and find out which type you have.

Causes of Conjunctivitis

Viruses cause viral pink eye. Bacteria also cause bacterial conjunctivitis. Pollen and other allergens can  also cause allergic pink eye, while chemicals or foreign objects can cause inflammation due to irritation. Keep in mind that your risk of pink eye is higher if you’re exposed to someone else who has contagious conjunctivitis.

Conjunctivitis Symptoms

Having red eyes can be a sign of pink eye but it’s not the only one. Eye redness can also have other causes. With conjunctivitis, you might also have itchiness, discharge from your eyes that gets crusty, and a gritty sensation in your eyes. Other possible symptoms include sensitivity to light and tearing. This eye inflammation may only affect one eye or you might have symptoms in both eyes. If you have it in one eye, it can spread to the other eye. See our optometrist if you have signs and symptoms of this condition, so you can get treatment.

Treatment for Conjunctivitis

How is pink eye treated? That depends in part on what type you have. For most cases, treatment might include artificial ears to ease redness. We might also recommend that you wipe your eyelids to clean them and apply warm or cold compresses on them. If you have bacterial pink eye, you might need to use antibiotic drops. For allergic conjunctivitis, we might recommend allergy medicines to help ease your symptoms.

Get Conjunctivitis Treatment from Our Optometrist on Our Optometry Team

If you’re having conjunctivitis symptoms, contact us at AssureVision in (847) 368-9999 Arlington Heights, IL, and (224) 407-2020 Barrington, IL, to set up an appointment with our “optometrist near me.” Dr. Lomasov offers safe and effective treatment to help ease redness and other symptoms. Call us for more information. We also serve Glenview, IL.