Common Eye Infections

Eye Infection Causes And Symptoms

Common eye infections are generally a temporary for of eye problem, and if treated, pose no long term danger to eye health or vision wellness. Nonetheless, if you have eye infection symptoms, it's a good idea to see a doctor.

Often, common eye infections cause redness, dryness, and possibly crustiness that can virtually glue the eyelids shut for a short period of time. Some types of common eye infections also cause a yellowish discharge.

A note about eye infection from contacts Contact lens wearers are more at risk for eye infections because bacteria can build up under the lenses and begin to infect part of the eye. That's why it's important to maintain a regular cleaning program if you wear contacts.

Eye infection causes Generally speaking, you get an eye infection from bacteria, viruses and other microbiological agents. Some eye infections are fairly are common, some are rare.

Pink eye, or conjunctivitis: an infection of the conjunctiva, or clear membrane that fits over the front part of the eye. Millions of people are afflicted by pink eye around the world every year.

Blepharitis: the eyelids become inflamed and crusty. There's also redness and swelling.

Trachoma: the leading cause of the world's infectious blindness. This type of eye infection is more common in underdeveloped countries. It's estimated that more than 80 million worldwide have some form of trachoma, and about 10 percent of them will sufffer some kind of visual impairment as a result.

Eye Stye: a red, painful, swollen, cyst-like bump of the eyelid. See eye styes.

Cellulitis: a infection under the top layer of skin usually caused by bacteria.

Keratitis: an inflammation of the cornea. Causes include dry eyes, foreign objects, contact lenses, intense light, vitamin A deficiency or allergies.

Corneal Ulcer: occurs when cornea tissue has eroded, usually causing redness and pain.

Eye infection symptoms Unlike many health conditions, eye infection symptoms are pretty obvious. The eyes become red and inflamed, and sometimes they even produce an unsettling discharge (see below). Other typical eye infection symptoms include:

• blurred vision,
• discomfort or soreness of the eyes,
• excessive tearing watery eyes,
• flaking of the eye lids,
• persistent itching,
• swelling of the eyelids and tissue around the eyes.

Eye discharge Besides the eye infection symptoms listed above, there's also sometimes a yellowish, crusty and persistent discharge. This discharge typically happens with pink eye, or conjunctivitis. It may seal the eyes shut temporarily, but it's not generally harmful or dangerous.

There's another type of discharge that's more likely to accompany dry eyes, allergies, or a cold. This type of discharge is thinner and less crusty than the type produced by pink eye.

If your eyes are producing a discharge which make your eyes hard to keep open, you can usually loosen crusts with a warm, wrung-out washcloth. But be careful not to share the washcloth with anyone else.

If you are using mascara when you have an eye discharge, stop. It's also a good idea to throw out any eye cosmetics you were using when the infection began.