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What is 'Pink Eye' and how do I treat it?

Pink-Eye: An Introduction

Itchy eyes, watery discharge or pinkness in the eyes? You might just have conjunctivitis or, as it’s colloquially known, ‘pink-eye’. But, don’t fret. It’s a very common infection and easily treated. It is especially important to keep an eye on infections like this during the current COVID-19 pandemic; according to the World Health Organisation, conjunctivitis may be a possible symptom of the Coronavirus. Read on to find out more about this common infection – and how to avoid catching it in the first place.

What Is Pink-Eye or Conjunctivitis?

Commonly known as ‘pink-eye’ because of the characteristic colour that appears in the eye, conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the thin, clear covering of the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelids (conjunctiva).

Pink-Eye and Coronavirus

Over the last year, a great deal of research has been done into the causes, symptoms and nature of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), however, information from the World Health Organisation tells us that conjunctivitis can be a sign that someone has coronavirus. It’s a common misconception that the virus is airborne – but the truth isn’t far off. The virus is spread when particles from an infected person enter your system through your nose or mouth or, in this case, eyes. Similarly, you could become infected by touching something that has the virus on its surface and then touching your eyes. In 2020, the American Academy of Ophthalmology reported on a study from China that showed almost one third of Coronavirus patients who were hospitalised presented problems with their eyes like conjunctivitis. So, as you’ve been informed time and time again, it is incredibly important to try and reduce touching your face and eyes – even if you’ve washed your hands first.

What’s the Difference Between Bacterial Conjunctivitis, Allergic Conjunctivitis and Viral Pink Eye?

Before we look at the differences, let’s look at the similarities. All three generally develop when you have a cold (virus) or a sore throat (virus or bacteria). All three are highly contagious. Bacterial conjunctivitis is caused by bacteria that spreads to your eyes from your respiratory system or your skin. You can also catch it if you rub your eyes when your hands aren’t clean, use makeup (mascara) that has been contaminated or share makeup or other things that your eyes (like a towel) with someone who has conjunctivitis. Conversely, viral pink-eye is caused by viruses like the herpes virus. You can catch it when someone who is infected sneezes or coughs near you and the droplets come into contact with your eyes. Allergic conjunctivitis happens when your eyes come into contact with pollen and become red, itchy, and watery. It is an eye inflammation caused by an allergic reaction and normally a short term condition than the former two.

What Are the Signs of Pink-Eye?

You’ll know you’re developing conjunctivitis if you experience: 

  • •  Pink or red color in the whites of the eyes.
  • •  Watering eyes.
  • •  Itchy eyes.
  • •  Swelling.
  • •  Burning or irritation in your eyes.
  • •  Crusting of the eyelids or lashes, especially in the morning.
  • •  Discharge from the eye.

Pink-Eye in Kids

Young children are prone to picking up lots of bugs and infections, especially when they start going to preschool/kindergarten and school. Conjunctivitis is especially contagious, so kids are quite vulnerable to catching it.

Conjunctivitis Treatments

Conjunctivitis is easy to treat and most cases usually clear up by themselves in 1-2 weeks. You can use antibiotics to help clear up a bacterial infection quicker than waiting for it to heal itself. To help ease discomfort while the infection clears, you can also use lubricating eye drops to prevent your eyes getting too dry, put cold ice packs against your eyes to soothe swelling, and clean the discharge from your eyes with a wet cloth or tissue.

How to Prevent Pink-Eye

Pink eye is an annoying infection, so it’s best to avoid catching it in the first place as well as to help prevent spreading it to others if you’re infected. Make sure you wash your hands properly during the day with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. You should also make extra effort to wash them thoroughly before taking your eyes when using drops or inserting contact lenses. Avoid touching or rubbing your eyes, and try not to share towels, bedding, makeup or makeup brushes if you can avoid it. Thoroughly wash bedding and towels after using them and regularly clean and disinfect contact lenses and glasses. And remember, due to pink-eye being highly contagious, it is best to stay home from school or work until the infection is gone to avoid spreading it to others. You’re probably used to that by now, though.

How to Avoid Reinfection

Once pink-eye has cleared up, it’s important to avoid reinfecting yourself. Make sure you throw out any eye makeup or applicators you used when you had conjunctivitis, get rid of disposable contact lenses and solution if you used them during your infection, and thoroughly disinfect hard contact lenses, eyeglasses and your lens cases – all three can harbour bacteria. 

You can read more about how to properly clean these items up here.

More Solutions to Eyewear Problems

You’ve done the boring reading, and now you know the facts. It’s time to select a pair of glasses – or even sunglasses – that’s right for you. At SmartBuyGlasses we’re proud to host a whole range of luxury brands, value models, cutting-edge technologies and more. We stock loads of brands that offer progressive lenses – just select your new prescription on checkout. If you’ve seen a pair you like the look of, but aren’t sure how they’ll look ‘on-face’, why don’t you have a look at…

Virtual Try-On

SmartBuyGlasses’ revolutionary Virtual Try-On tool is an advanced online solution to the problem of not being able to check out a pair of glasses in-hand. It’s simple and free! See what you look like wearing different designer sunglasses or eyeglasses from home in just 2 easy steps.

Step 1: record your selfie video. We’ll walk you through a simple process and show you how to use your desktop or mobile camera to record a quick, five-second selfie video.

Step 2: try on glasses online! Go to the brand page of any glasses you’d like to try on. Then, filter by ‘Virtual Try-On’ in the special features option. You can see yourself wearing any of the glasses that appear! We have over 5,000 pairs of eyeglasses and 6,000 pairs of sunglasses just a few clicks away from appearing on your face!

Given the current pandemic, going to your local opticians’ or eyewear store isn’t so easy at the moment. Virtual Try-On eliminates the stress of making your mind up in person, the time wasted going to and from the store, and the typically high costs of visiting a brick-and-mortar shop. It really is the perfect socially distanced try-before-you-buy!

Arise HD Prescription Lenses

SmartBuyGlasses offers groundbreaking durability, pristine clarity and perfect vision – all in the same lenses. Arise HD Clarity Prescription Lenses are made for the everyday wearer, but also offer advanced protection making them suitable for any adventure.

The Arise Clarity Lens Collection comes packed with protective elements to provide you with an unbeatable pair of prescription glasses. From scratch resistant and anti-reflective coatings to UV 400 and superhydrophobic protection, these lenses are guaranteed to keep your eyes comfortable in any situation. 

These lenses are also aspheric, making them thinner and lighter than many other prescription lenses. These high performing, durable lenses feature an innovative lens technology that provides optimal clarity and comfort in the urban jungle.

Simply choose any frames you like, enter your prescription and select Arise Collective for your lens type. Let’s get started!

zFORT® Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Blue light is a potentially harmful form of light. While it is naturally emitted by the sun, electronic devices (upon which we’re spending more and more time every day) are also high-level producers. Blue light rays at a wavelength between 415nm – 455nm can damage your retinal cells, which may lead to premature eye ageing and vision problems in the future.

Our exposure to these harmful light rays may also cause a range of other health problems, including poor sleep (according to a 2012 Harvard Medical School study). Find out more about how to protect your eyes from blue light with anti blue light glasses from zFORT®.

What is 'Pink Eye' and how do I treat it?

Ask the Optician

ASK NOW

Pink-Eye: An Introduction

Itchy eyes, watery discharge or pinkness in the eyes? You might just have conjunctivitis or, as it’s colloquially known, ‘pink-eye’. But, don’t fret. It’s a very common infection and easily treated. It is especially important to keep an eye on infections like this during the current COVID-19 pandemic; according to the World Health Organisation, conjunctivitis may be a possible symptom of the Coronavirus. Read on to find out more about this common infection – and how to avoid catching it in the first place.

What Is Pink-Eye or Conjunctivitis?

Commonly known as ‘pink-eye’ because of the characteristic colour that appears in the eye, conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the thin, clear covering of the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelids (conjunctiva).

Pink-Eye and Coronavirus

Over the last year, a great deal of research has been done into the causes, symptoms and nature of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), however, information from the World Health Organisation tells us that conjunctivitis can be a sign that someone has coronavirus. It’s a common misconception that the virus is airborne – but the truth isn’t far off. The virus is spread when particles from an infected person enter your system through your nose or mouth or, in this case, eyes. Similarly, you could become infected by touching something that has the virus on its surface and then touching your eyes. In 2020, the American Academy of Ophthalmology reported on a study from China that showed almost one third of Coronavirus patients who were hospitalised presented problems with their eyes like conjunctivitis. So, as you’ve been informed time and time again, it is incredibly important to try and reduce touching your face and eyes – even if you’ve washed your hands first.

What’s the Difference Between Bacterial Conjunctivitis, Allergic Conjunctivitis and Viral Pink Eye?

Before we look at the differences, let’s look at the similarities. All three generally develop when you have a cold (virus) or a sore throat (virus or bacteria). All three are highly contagious. Bacterial conjunctivitis is caused by bacteria that spreads to your eyes from your respiratory system or your skin. You can also catch it if you rub your eyes when your hands aren’t clean, use makeup (mascara) that has been contaminated or share makeup or other things that your eyes (like a towel) with someone who has conjunctivitis. Conversely, viral pink-eye is caused by viruses like the herpes virus. You can catch it when someone who is infected sneezes or coughs near you and the droplets come into contact with your eyes. Allergic conjunctivitis happens when your eyes come into contact with pollen and become red, itchy, and watery. It is an eye inflammation caused by an allergic reaction and normally a short term condition than the former two.

What Are the Signs of Pink-Eye?

You’ll know you’re developing conjunctivitis if you experience: 

  • • Pink or red color in the whites of the eyes.
  • • Watering eyes.
  • • Itchy eyes.
  • • Swelling.
  • • Burning or irritation in your eyes.
  • • Crusting of the eyelids or lashes, especially in the morning.
  • • Discharge from the eye.

Pink-Eye in Kids

Young children are prone to picking up lots of bugs and infections, especially when they start going to preschool/kindergarten and school. Conjunctivitis is especially contagious, so kids are quite vulnerable to catching it.

Conjunctivitis Treatments

Conjunctivitis is easy to treat and most cases usually clear up by themselves in 1-2 weeks. You can use antibiotics to help clear up a bacterial infection quicker than waiting for it to heal itself. To help ease discomfort while the infection clears, you can also use lubricating eye drops to prevent your eyes getting too dry, put cold ice packs against your eyes to soothe swelling, and clean the discharge from your eyes with a wet cloth or tissue.

How to Prevent Pink-Eye

Pink eye is an annoying infection, so it’s best to avoid catching it in the first place as well as to help prevent spreading it to others if you’re infected. Make sure you wash your hands properly during the day with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. You should also make extra effort to wash them thoroughly before taking your eyes when using drops or inserting contact lenses. Avoid touching or rubbing your eyes, and try not to share towels, bedding, makeup or makeup brushes if you can avoid it. Thoroughly wash bedding and towels after using them and regularly clean and disinfect contact lenses and glasses. And remember, due to pink-eye being highly contagious, it is best to stay home from school or work until the infection is gone to avoid spreading it to others. You’re probably used to that by now, though.

How to Avoid Reinfection

Once pink-eye has cleared up, it’s important to avoid reinfecting yourself. Make sure you throw out any eye makeup or applicators you used when you had conjunctivitis, get rid of disposable contact lenses and solution if you used them during your infection, and thoroughly disinfect hard contact lenses, eyeglasses and your lens cases – all three can harbour bacteria. 

You can read more about how to properly clean these items up here.

More Solutions to Eyewear Problems

You’ve done the boring reading, and now you know the facts. It’s time to select a pair of glasses – or even sunglasses – that’s right for you. At SmartBuyGlasses we’re proud to host a whole range of luxury brands, value models, cutting-edge technologies and more. We stock loads of brands that offer progressive lenses – just select your new prescription on checkout. If you’ve seen a pair you like the look of, but aren’t sure how they’ll look ‘on-face’, why don’t you have a look at…

Virtual Try-On

SmartBuyGlasses’ revolutionary Virtual Try-On tool is an advanced online solution to the problem of not being able to check out a pair of glasses in-hand. It’s simple and free! See what you look like wearing different designer sunglasses or eyeglasses from home in just 2 easy steps.

Step 1: record your selfie video. We’ll walk you through a simple process and show you how to use your desktop or mobile camera to record a quick, five-second selfie video.

Step 2: try on glasses online! Go to the brand page of any glasses you’d like to virtually try on. Then, filter by ‘virtual try-on’ in the special features option. You can see yourself wearing any of the glasses that appear! We have over 5,000 pairs of eyeglasses and 6,000 pairs of sunglasses just a few clicks away from appearing on your face!

Given the current pandemic, going to your local opticians’ or eyewear store isn’t so easy at the moment. Virtual Try-On eliminates the stress of making your mind up in person, the time wasted going to and from the store, and the typically high costs of visiting a brick-and-mortar shop. It really is the perfect socially distanced try-before-you-buy!

Arise HD Prescription Lenses

SmartBuyGlasses offers groundbreaking durability, pristine clarity and perfect vision – all in the same lenses. Arise HD Clarity Prescription Lenses are made for the everyday wearer, but also offer advanced protection making them suitable for any adventure.

The Arise Clarity Lens Collection comes packed with protective elements to provide you with an unbeatable pair of prescription glasses. From scratch resistant and anti-reflective coatings to UV 400 and superhydrophobic protection, these lenses are guaranteed to keep your eyes comfortable in any situation. 

These lenses are also aspheric, making them thinner and lighter than many other prescription lenses. These high performing, durable lenses feature an innovative lens technology that provides optimal clarity and comfort in the urban jungle.

Simply choose any frames you like, enter your prescription and select Arise Collective for your lens type. Let’s get started!

zFORT® Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Blue light is a potentially harmful form of light. While it is naturally emitted by the sun, electronic devices (upon which we’re spending more and more time every day) are also high-level producers. Blue light rays at a wavelength between 415nm – 455nm can damage your retinal cells, which may lead to premature eye ageing and vision problems in the future.

Our exposure to these harmful light rays may also cause a range of other health problems, including poor sleep (according to a 2012 Harvard Medical School study). Find out more about how to protect your eyes from blue light with anti blue light glasses from zFORT®.

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