How is conjunctivitis transmitted in its various forms?

Conjunctivitis is a very common problem that affects the human eye. But, unlike many eye diseases and pathologies, conjunctivitis can in some cases be transmitted from person to person. Therefore, it is necessary to understand exactly how it is transmitted in order to avoid undesirable infection in the future.

Read more about this disease in this article.

What it is

Conjunctivitis is a disease that consists in the reddening and inflammation of a thin, colorless layer of the eye, which is also known as the conjunctiva.

In the conjunctiva there is a huge number of nerve endings, because conjunctivitis can cause great discomfort.

The conjunctiva is very important for the eye, it protects the white of the eye and closes the inner surface of the eyelids, because its inflammation has a very negative effect on the eyes as a whole.

Causes

The causes of this problem can vary greatly depending on which type of disease a person has.

Below are only the main types of disease. They can in turn be divided into subtypes depending on the particular pathogen, for example, the type of bacteria, which provoked the problem. There may also be non-standard causes of inflammation (eg, exposure to toxic substances). Do not make preliminary conclusions about the nature of conjunctivitis, instead you need to see a doctor.

• Allergic conjunctivitis.It is caused by allergens that affect a particular person. The problem can be seasonal, for example, when plants bloom, to which a person is particularly sensitive. Such conjunctivitis is not transmitted in any way, it arises solely because of the individual characteristics of the human body.
• Bacterial conjunctivitis.Occurs when various bacteria are entered on the surface of the eyes, mainly staphylococci and pneumococci. Also, this kind of disease is called "sickness of dirty hands because the method of transmission is contact.
• Viral conjunctivitis.Transmitted by airborne droplets, caused by exposure to the body of various viruses. Most often occurs against the background of a weakening of immunity, for example, when a person has a cold or SARS.

Of all these forms of the disease, only the viral variety is truly actively transmitted. It is also transmitted by airborne droplets, even without direct contact.

Symptoms

Symptoms can be common for all types of disease, as well as private for its subspecies. In almost all cases, a person experiences photophobia, conjunctival hyperemia and swelling, as well as swelling of the eyelids, as well as redness of the eye protein. Further symptoms may vary.

• Allergic conjunctivitis.A pronounced itch of the eyes, sometimes turning into pain. Usually the problem arises symmetrically on two eyes at once.
• Bacterial conjunctivitis.The most pronounced in the bacterial form of the disease are discharge from the eyes, they are usually gray or slightly yellowish. Because of them, the eyelids after sleep can stick together. Also, the sensation of the presence of a foreign body arises in the eye. The infected eye becomes dry, the skin around it can also become dry. Often the disease begins on one eye, but then gradually spreads to the second. For symptoms to appear, usually three days are enough.
• Viral conjunctivitis.Cutting in the corner of the eye, redness of the vessels, photophobia, severe inflammation of the conjunctiva. There may be a nondous detachable substance, sometimes there are films or follicles, but this happens most often in children. Sometimes, with some types of viral infections, there are accompanying symptoms, for example, fever, upper respiratory tract infection and enlarged lymph nodes.

Diagnostics

Primary diagnosis of conjunctivitis begins with an anamnesis, in most cases it is understood that the patient is this disease, you can by visual inspection and a description of the problems that his trouble.

To clarify the diagnosis, the doctor may prescribe an additional study, for example, bacteriological - depending on which type of disease is suspected.

Treatment

In most cases, eye drops are at the heart of the treatment for conjunctivitis, but they are different depending on what type of disease a person has.

• If a person has an allergic form of the disease, then, as a rule, they prescribe antihistamine drops.Sometimes antihistamines may be in other forms, for example, in the form of syrup or tablets.
• Bacterial conjunctivitis is often not treated as something special, but to stimulate the process of recovery, eye drops that contain antibiotics are used.
• The viral form of the disease is treated with interferon medications- or use antiviral drugs of a different type. Particular attention should be given to the treatment of viral conjunctivitis in children.

Sometimes it may be necessary to use drops that contain steroids. They need to be very careful, because the risk of side effects is great. Dosage must necessarily be prescribed by a doctor.

Do not treat the disease with folk remedies.Sometimes it is not worth treating, it's enough to wait, but with the help of folk remedies, the situation can only be aggravated, making the disease stronger.

As a rule, conjunctivitis is manifested by the reddening of the protein and the appearance of a vascular network

Complications

Conjunctivitis, if left unattended, can strongly develop, leading to serious consequences, up to complete loss of vision.Even if this does not happen, conjunctivitis can greatly increase the strain on the eyes.Also, the disease can go into a chronic form and arise on an ongoing basis. Then the treatment will be very difficult.

Prevention

Prophylaxis of conjunctivitis is carried out depending on what kind of type it manifested in a person.

• Allergic conjunctivitis can be avoided by avoiding contact with a known allergen.If this contact can not be avoided, then it is necessary to drink the course of antihistamines prescribed by the attending physician.
• Bacterial conjunctivitis can be avoided by maintaining general purity and following basic hygiene rules.You should also try not to rub eyes with dirty hands (and do not rub your eyes at all). Do not use personal hygiene items of other people, as well as individual items of those who already have conjunctivitis.
• Viral conjunctivitisyou can try to avoid taking general measures to strengthen immunity, and avoiding close contact with people who have viral infections.

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conclusions

Conjunctivitis can be transmitted in various ways - but only its viral form, which is transmitted by airborne droplets, is truly contagious. The bacterial form can also be transmitted, but this requires direct contact. An allergic form is not transmitted, it occurs in a person due to the individual characteristics of his body. If you take this into account, you can minimize the chances of this disease - and quickly heal it, if it still arose.