Are your eyes itchy, red, and hard to open? You likely have conjunctivitis. While this eye condition is certainly inconvenient, it is generally benign.
Here, we will tell you more about conjunctivitis, its symptoms, its treatments, and the best way to protect yourself from it.
Finally, we will finish by telling you how sunglasses can help you during the symptomatic phase of the disease. Let’s go!
Conjunctivitis: four causes for red eyes🩺
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. This is the white part located under the eyelids. When the conjunctiva is affected, it swells, the white of your eye turns red, and it shows! The sensation is unpleasant, but the disease is not serious. It can have four causes.
🦠 Viral conjunctivitis
In this case, you are sick due to a virus. As a general rule, it is an adenovirus, notably the one responsible for nasopharyngitis. The herpes simplex virus can also be at the origin of conjunctivitis. In the case of viral conjunctivitis, both eyes are generally affected and another illness develops at the same time, such as nasopharyngitis or a cold.
💊 Bacterial conjunctivitis
This version of conjunctivitis is much easier to recognize. Indeed, this is the type of conjunctivitis that makes the eyes sticky and causes very red eyes. It stems from an infection by a bacterium such as staphylococcus or streptococcus. It tends to be purulent, unlike viral conjunctivitis.
🤧 Allergic conjunctivitis
If you are a regular sufferer of seasonal allergies, you must know this type of conjunctivitis. Allergic conjunctivitis is associated with allergic rhinitis. It is a symptom of what we call hay fever. It is triggered by contact with an allergen such as pollen and causes an effect on both eyes. You will tend to sneeze and have watery eyes.
👁 Toxic conjunctivitis
Unlike the other types of conjunctivitis, toxic conjunctivitis is linked to contact with an element toxic to the eye. It could be soap, smoke, pool chlorine, or an object that enters the eye and cannot be expelled.
Toxic conjunctivitis can also be caused by wearing contact lenses. This is the case if the lenses are unsuitable, poorly hydrated, or if you put your lenses in without washing your hands first.
What are the symptoms of conjunctivitis?
Although there are different types of conjunctivitis, the symptoms are generally always the same. These include:
-
Red eyes
-
Itching
-
Stinging
-
A sensation of discomfort in the eyes, as if a foreign body were inside
-
Yellow to green discharge
-
Eyes stuck shut upon waking
-
Watery eyes
Those are the general symptoms. Here are some clues to help you know which type of conjunctivitis you had the wonderful idea of contracting:
-
Viral conjunctivitis: both eyes are affected and you feel like you have a cold at the same time.
-
Bacterial conjunctivitis: one eye is affected, then the other. The appearance of charming yellow-to-greenish secretions is also a good sign of a bacterial origin.
-
Allergic conjunctivitis: there’s nothing like an allergy! You sneeze, you have to blow your nose often, and the mucus is transparent, like water. Both eyes are affected.
-
Toxic conjunctivitis: you went to the pool recently.
The symptoms of conjunctivitis are very recognizable. That said, make an appointment with a doctor so they can treat you correctly according to the type of infection. Avoid self-medication at the risk of complications arising.
Complications of conjunctivitis
We will tell you right now: in the majority of cases, conjunctivitis is a benign condition that is easily treated. There you go, so you won't panic while reading the rest 😇
Nevertheless, we recommend that you treat your conjunctivitis properly by seeing a doctor. Indeed, the disease can progress if it is poorly managed. The most common progression is keratitis.
Keratitis is an eye disease whose symptoms include a decrease in visual acuity (you see less clearly) as well as photophobia (light blinds you). ⚠️ This is a condition that should not be taken lightly, as the vision impairment can be permanent.
Finally, although corneal abscess is most often induced by wearing contact lenses, it can be a progression of conjunctivitis. It is a serious infection of the eye by a bacterium. The symptoms are red eyes and a characteristic white spot in the middle of the eye. 🚨 Urgent medical attention is necessary.
💊 What is the treatment for conjunctivitis?
Okay, good, we have passed the distressing phase of the article. You can breathe a sigh of relief, because now we are going to see how to treat all of this (of course, this article does not replace an appointment with a doctor). Since there are several versions of conjunctivitis, there are as many treatments.
Treatment for viral conjunctivitis
Like any viral infection, the doctor will not prescribe antibiotics. Indeed, antibiotics are not effective against viruses! You will have a local treatment that will reduce the symptoms of conjunctivitis. You will be given eye drops so you can clean your eyes and help your lacrimal apparatus.
In the case of conjunctivitis resulting from a herpes infection, the doctor may prescribe an ointment and/or antivirals.
Treatment for bacterial conjunctivitis
Although of bacterial origin, this conjunctivitis is not always treated with antibiotics. The doctor will reserve the big guns for a significant infection that will depend on their diagnosis.
Thus, in most cases, bacterial conjunctivitis will be treated with the help of saline solution and an antiseptic.
Treatment for allergic conjunctivitis
In the case of allergic conjunctivitis, the use of saline solution and patience is recommended. Indeed, this type of conjunctivitis goes away as it came. If the symptoms persist over time, an anti-allergy ointment can be used.
Of course, don't forget to take your antihistamines if you are prone to allergies. They will help you fight against this type of conjunctivitis.
Treatment for toxic conjunctivitis
In this scenario, we will try to remove the foreign body from the eye. In the majority of cases, you will need to wash the eye so that it regains its normal environment. You will also need to prevent the reappearance of the disease by identifying the toxic element.
🛡 Protecting yourself against conjunctivitis
Healing is nice, but prevention is always better!
If you want to avoid being the person who catches conjunctivitis repeatedly, we recommend that you pay attention to what you touch your eyes with.
In other words, wash your hands often, especially after handling money, your phone, or worse... public transport.
The germs that everyone carries around all day are responsible for the inflammation of the conjunctiva leading to conjunctivitis. Therefore, avoid rubbing your eyes without washing your hands.
🫧 The case of contact lenses
In the event that you wear contact lenses, take good care of them. Follow your doctor's advice and apply your routine correctly so as not to expose yourself to various complications.
Your contact lenses must be well hydrated and stored in a clean environment. Of course, wash your hands before putting them in, and don't forget to massage them!
If you have a tendency to have back-to-back cases of conjunctivitis and you wear lenses, talk to your ophthalmologist about it. The lenses may not be adapted to your eyes, or perhaps you are doing something wrong.
😎 Sunglasses when you have conjunctivitis: it brings relief!
Conjunctivitis affects the eye and can cause photophobia, which is a strong sensitivity to light. This is quite inconvenient, especially if you have to leave your home. This is why sunglasses can help you cope with the disease.
The risk of photophobia is greater with bacterial conjunctivitis. That said, you can still wear sunglasses if you have viral or allergic conjunctivitis. Your eyes will be relieved and less subject to the additional redness that the Sun could cause.
Our choice of sunglasses for outdoors
We recommend our range of blue light blocking sunglasses. To relieve your photophobia, prefer our X-Pol lenses. These are special lenses that have an anti-glare treatment. We know how painful intense and sudden lights can be when you have conjunctivitis, which is why this type of lens will help you enormously!
Plus, we have lots of different frames so you can be stylish, even with conjunctivitis 😎
Our choice of glasses for indoors
With viral, bacterial, or allergic conjunctivitis, you will probably prefer to stay indoors as much as possible. At that time, it is the screens that will tend to hurt your eyes. So, to help you withstand the light and thus continue to work or relax, we recommend our range of gaming glasses.
To protect yourself as much as possible, we recommend choosing our yellow lenses (Amber tint) for optimal filtration of harmful wavelengths. Treated against glare, these lenses will be your secret weapon against conjunctivitis 💪!
Final word: conjunctivitis yes, but not without my sunglasses!
We have reviewed everything there is to know about conjunctivitis, its origins, its treatments, and how to protect yourself from it. Now, you know how to avoid catching it and how to relieve photophobia if you ever do catch it.
Sunglasses are very useful in the case of conjunctivitis, just like gaming glasses! Discover our ranges of glasses and be prepared to say NO to conjunctivitis!
