Pink eye, also called conjunctivitis is swelling and infection of the membrane lining the conjunctiva (eyelids). The main causes of pink eye are chemical exposure, fungi, parasites, bacteria, virus, use of contact lenses and chlamydia. Furthermore, pink eye is mostly common in newborn and young children. Newborns are infected by bacteria in the birth canal and must be treated immediately to preserve eyesight. Moreover, tears act as a protective shield of eyes because they wash away conjunctiva. Tears also contain antibodies that kill bacteria. However, there are other natural and home remedies to treat pink eyes which are stated below:
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Viral Pink Eye
Adenoviruses are the most common type of virus that cause pink eye. Water discharge is one of the symptoms of viral eye infection. The discharge is neither green nor yellow but it is colorless. One should not use an antibiotic to treat viral pink eye. It is usually associated with the infection of cornea. Mostly no treatment is required for a viral pink eye because it just stays over a course of two weeks. But to get rid of it in no time, one should apply a cold wet washcloth to the eyes several times a day.
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Bacterial Pink Eye
Types of bacteria that commonly cause pink eye are streptococci and staphylococci. When the eye is infected with bacteria, its symptoms include eye pain, swelling, itching, redness of eye and a yellow or greenish color discharge. The discharge commonly accumulates after sleeping so one should clean it with a warm water cloth. The specific treatment of bacterial pink eye is to wash the eye with cold water and then use antibiotic eye drops.
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Red Eye
Red eye is a general term that includes not only pink eye but also many other problems that cause redness around the eye. First rinse it with cold water and then apply antibiotic eye drop. The reddening of eye may also be due to any foreign bodies that entered the eye like insects and objects. Different types of allergies also cause red eye. So, one should take anti allergic antibiotics for this.
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Chlamydia Pink Eye
Chlamydia is a very uncommon type of bacterial pink eye infection. It is not very common in US but is mostly found in African and Middle Eastern countries. Chlamydia usually cause pink eye in adults. It is typically treated with erythromycin or oral tetracycline.