HEALTH Conjunctivitis ‘epidemic’ in Mayo

Cases of conjunctivitis rise sharply


Áine Higgins

Recently there has been an epidemic of patients coming into my practice with conjunctivitis, an uncomfortable condition that should not be overlooked.

What is conjunctivitis?
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva – the clear, thin membrane that stretches between your eyelid and your eye. It is what prevents contact lenses from being lost behind a wearers eyeball.

You may have conjunctivitis if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Itchiness
• Redness
• Sensitivity to light
• Swelling of your eyelids

If you experience any of the above symptoms and you are a contact-lens wearer, you should stop wearing your contacts immediately, and you can damage to the cornea of your eye.
If you think any of your symptoms severe you should book an appointment to see your GP  or optician. They will carefully examine your eyes and check for swelling or tenderness around your jaw and ears. They may also take a sample of liquid from your eyes in order to test what types of infection is present.
There are three major types of conjunctivitis: viral, bacterial and allergic. Viral conjunctivitis eventually goes away on its own, even if it isn’t treated. However, your GP or optician may prescribe eye drops to help to manage your symptoms. Antihistamine pills may also help to relieve the itchiness. Viral conjunctivitis usually gets worse for around a week after the first symptoms and gets better after ten days to a month.
Bacterial conjunctivitis is treated with antibiotic eye drops. These drops help to wash your eyes gently, and the conjunctivitis normally improves in less than two days after starting to use them. If your symptoms have not cleared up after three days, you should book an appointment with your doctor or optician.
Allergic conjunctivitis should be treated by first ensuring you are no longer exposed to what ever allergen triggered the reaction. The symptoms will then reduce naturally. Antihistamine tablets or certain eye drops may sometimes be prescribed to speed up the process.
Finally, prevention is better than cure. To avoid getting conjunctivitis, remember to always wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, avoid excessively rubbing your eyes, avoid sharing eye makeup or cosmetics, and avoid sharing towels or washcloths with others.

Áine Higgins is an optician based in Mongey’s Opticians, Castlebar and Ballinrobe. She was the first Irish optician to be nominated for the UK and Ireland Optician of the Year 2010.