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Viral Pink Eye – Causes, Symptoms, Cures, Treatments, Prevention Diagnosis of Viral Conjunctivitis

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Are you looking for information on viral conjunctivitis or viral pink eye? This article has the most comprehensive coverage of viral pinkeye.  Among the things you will learn about viral conjunctivitis, include the following:

What is Viral Pinkeye or Conjunctivitis
What is Viral Pinkeye or Conjunctivitis
  • What is viral pink eye?
  • What causes viral pinkeye?
  • What symptoms are you bound to experience if you have viral pink eye?
  • Can viral conjunctivitis be treated? What are some of the conjunctivitis caused by virus cures and treatments?
  • How long is viral pinkeye contagious?
  • How do you prevent viral conjunctivitis

Other than getting answers to all the above questions, there is also a lot more that has been covered on this type of conjunctivitis you are unlikely to find elsewhere.

What is Viral Pinkeye or Conjunctivitis

Viral pink eye is a type of pink eye that is caused by various viruses eye infections, especially the adenoviruses. Viral pinkeye is the most common cause of pink eye especially during early spring. It has cold like symptoms on top of the red eye symptoms.

Typically, conjunctivitis caused by viruses often begins by affecting one eye and quickly spreads to the other eye since it is very contagious.

Causes of Viral Pink Eyes

A number of viruses cause viral pink eye. The most common one is adenovirus, which also affects the respiratory system. People with this virus might also suffer from sore throat, infection of the upper respiratory system, among many others. Another virus, which has been found to cause viral pink eye, is the herpes simplex virus.

Viral Pink Eyes Symptoms

Viral Pink Eye – Causes, Symptoms, Cures, Treatments, Prevention Diagnosis of Viral Conjunctivitis
Eyes affected by virus pinkeye or conjunctivitis

When you are suffering from viral pinkeye, you are bound to have a number of pink eye symptoms. The best way to describe virus pink eye infection is when you have fine and diffuse pinkness on your conjunctiva that can be easily mistake for iritis but you will see on your tarsal conjunctiva, numerous lymphoid follicles. However, other symptoms should help you distinguish it. Some of the common viral pink eye symptoms include the following:

  • Conjunctiva redness (white part of the eye becomes red)
  • Swollen eyelids
  • Itchy and burning feeling on your eyelids
  • Your tender areas of the ears might get swollen as well
  • Whitish clear and slightly lighter discharge from your eyes
  • Teary or watery eyes
  • Discharge from the infected eye(s) that is not yellowish or green in color.
  • Cold like symptoms such as running nose and congestion of sinus
  • You may also be affected with

Most of these viral pink eye symptoms will disappear after 3 to 5 days. However, in extreme cases, they might stay for up to 21 days. Furthermore, it is common for all the above viral conjunctivitis symptoms to be accompanied with common cold, sore throat and other respiratory tract infections.

Additional Viral Pinkeye Symptoms – More Conjunctivitis Symptoms

Other than the above viral pink eye symptoms, some patients might show other symptoms depending on the causes, which are closely associated with viral conjunctivitis  or other conditions which often occur with conjunctivitis caused by viruses and they include the following:

  • Flu, respiratory tract infection and common cold– In most instances, viral pink eye occur with other infections such as respiratory and the ear lymph node infection. They will enlarge, be sore and a bit painful.
  • Pharyngoconjunctivial fever – the other conjunctivitis symptom is fever and a sore throat. These virus pink eyes symptoms are experienced if your infection is caused by serotypes 3,4, or 7 or adenovirus.
  • Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis – This is a more severe viral pinkeye infection, which is caused adenovirus serotypes 37, 19 and 8.
  • Acute Hemorrhagic Pink Eye – this type of viral conjunctivitis is commonly associated with coxsackieviruss A24 and enterovirus 70 and it involves the nervous system.
  • Herpes Keratoconjunctivitis – This viral conjunctivitis infection is the one caused by herpes simplex virus. One unique symptom of this type of virus pinkeye is the appearance of skin lesions and it often many affect one eye.
  • Rubeola (measles) and Rubella – When viral pinkeye is accompanied with any of these viral rash diseases, you will have conjunctivitis together with rashes, cough and fever.
  • Newcastle Disease – At times you might be affected with conductivities is together with Newcastle disease and it affects people who work in poultry or veterinarians.

Diagnosis of viral pinkeye -Viral Conjunctivitis

Just like in the case of general diagnosis of pink eye, a number of things will be taken into account such as your patient history as well as the viral pinkeye symptoms and signs you are having. Conjunctivitis caused by viruses is often accompanied with common cold, infection of the respiratory track, etc. From the above symptoms of viral pinkeye, other causes will be ruled out.

To accurately diagnosis viral pink eyes, you need to undergo laboratory tests. However, as we will see in viral pink eye treatment, it is self-healing and it might not require treatments. People who are suspected to be suffering from conjunctivitis from varicella-zoster virus or herpes simplex virus will require laboratory tests, where a small sample of the discharge is used.

Treatment of Viral Pink Eye

Like most of the other disease caused by viruses, pinkeye cannot be cured using medications. It often goes away on its own. Some medications can only help in reducing its symptoms. Although it is rare, if your pink eye is cause by the herpes simplex virus, you can then use antiviral medications.

Pink Eye Remedies – Natural and Home Remedies for Pinkeye or Conjunctivitis -
Over the counter medication for viral conjunctivitis or pinkeye.

To help make the discomfort caused by viral pink eyes bearable, you can try various natural and home remedies. They will ensure you are comfortable as the body fights away the virus that caused pink eye.  Some over counter products such as artificial tears are also known to help calm down the symptoms of viral pink eyes.

Research on treatment of viral pink bacterial is ongoing and one of the procedure that has proposed by Derek Cunningham, O.D., at the Dell Laser Consultants Austin is the use of a single iodine treatment, the Betadine 2.5–5% concentration. This is an in-office treatment, which required ocular anesthesia use before the treatment. Dr, Cunningham warns against use of the Betadine as a natural or home remedy for virus pink eye treatment since there are different brand names and various concentrations. You also need to ensure correct expose time and this requires a professional doctor. Any bad use could lead to damages of the conjunctiva and cornea.

Virus Pink Eye Risks

Although there is are no cures for most of the causes of viral pink eye infection, it is good to always ensure you see a medical doctor in case of the following conditions  to help avert potential risks that might occur from this infection:

  • Pink eye might be risky for people who have conditions that weaken the body’s immunity or ability to fight infections.
  • People with vision only on one eye
  • People who wear contact lenses

How to Prevent Virus Pinkeye

As we have already seen, it is not easy there is no viral pink eye treatment. It is therefore good to ensure you avoid the spread of virus pinkeye through the following ways:

  • Keep high personal hygiene and wash your hands well with enough water and soap.
  • Avoid sharing personal effects such as towels, washcloths with people who are already infected with viral pink viruses

How Long Is Viral Pink Eye Contagious

Know how long will viral pinkeye be contagious is very important because it will help you know how soon you can go back to work, school or return your child to a day care without causing any risks of spreading viral pinkeye since it is very contagious. To give you answer on how long is viral pink eye contagious, you need to know that it depends on level of infection the seriousness of the viral infection.

However, if you have been affected by viral pinkeye, you can return to your place of work or school after 3 to 5 days. For people whose viral infection is caused by herpes simplex virus, you might need to use medications, antiviral medications and stay at home until the symptoms you had begin to improve. The exact duration might vary from one individual to another.

Conclusion

In this discussion on viral pink eye, we have looked at a number of issues including what it is, what causes it, some of the viral conjunctivitis symptoms, how to treat it, risks, prevention and how long viral pink is contagious. I hope this article is truly helpful.

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