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Computers can damage your eyes! Between 50% and 90% of people who work at a computer screen experience eye trouble, including pain and eye strain.
How to work at your computer without straining your eyesThere are a number of types of conjunctivitis, or pink eye, each with different causes and variations in symptoms. Eye health advisor, Lucy Hill, talks you through the different types, their causes and symptoms, and what complications are associated with conjunctivitis.
Conjunctivitis is a common condition where the thin layer of tissue covering the front of the eye, known as the conjunctiva, becomes inflamed. This causes redness, discomfort, discharge and sometimes itching. Some people refer to conjunctivitis as ‘pink eye’, because the affected eye is often bloodshot and red.
There are different types of conjunctivitis: infective, allergic and irritant. Infective conjunctivitis is caused by an infection, and this type can be further split into bacterial and viral conjunctivitis. Infective conjunctivitis is usually highly contagious, but allergic and irritant conjunctivitis are not.
If you’re looking for advice on treating conjunctivitis, this can be found on our conjunctivitis treatment page.
The cause of conjunctivitis depends on what type from which you are suffering.
Infective conjunctivitis is caused by:
Allergic conjunctivitis is caused by typical seasonal, perennial or other allergies such as:
Irritant conjunctivitis is caused by a foreign body or chemical coming into contact with the eye. This can be:
Poor makeup hygiene is a common culprit for carrying infections to the eyes or irritating them, causing either infective conjunctivitis or irritant conjunctivitis.
There are a number of distinct symptoms of conjunctivitis. Most of these are unpleasant or uncomfortable, but should not be very painful. If you are experiencing pain in your eye this may be a sign of a complication. The common symptoms of conjunctivitis are:
Some of these symptoms give an indication as to what kind of conjunctivitis you have. For example, clear and watery discharge is normally a sign of viral conjunctivitis, whereas thick, yellow discharge is usually a sign of bacterial conjunctivitis. Finding your eyelids stuck shut in the mornings is also often a sign of viral conjunctivitis. Itchy eyes is usually a sign of allergic conjunctivitis.
There are some symptoms that can arise which normally indicate a more severe case of conjunctivitis, or that the conjunctivitis is causing secondary conditions. These are:
Depending on the cause of the conjunctivitis, symptoms should clear up within a few days to a few weeks. Allergic conjunctivitis can sometimes last longer, particularly if the allergy is seasonal, such as hayfever. If your symptoms have not cleared up after one to two weeks you should consult your GP, who may be able to prescribe some treatment to speed the process up.
Anyone can get conjunctivitis, regardless of age or gender. However, there are a number of factors that make you more susceptible to developing conjunctivitis:
While it is annoying, unpleasant and uncomfortable, conjunctivitis is rarely serious. In some cases, however, conjunctivitis can cause a number of complications.
Conjunctivitis is usually treatable at home with some simple self-care techniques. Keeping the eye clean is important, and you can buy eye wash from your chemist or optician for this purpose.
Soaking a cloth in warm, clean salt water and then laying this over your eyes can help soothe irritation, and loosen any discharge around the eye.
The A.Vogel Eye drops can be used while you have conunctivitis. These drops contain Euphrasia, a herb that has been used since the 14th century for eye health. They can help soothe irritation and help to keep the eyes clean by flushing out sticky discharge.
For a more comprehensive guide to treating conjunctivitis at home, as well as some advice on when to seek medical advice, head to our conjunctivitis treatment page.
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Computers can damage your eyes! Between 50% and 90% of people who work at a computer screen experience eye trouble, including pain and eye strain.
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