If you've had pink eye before, you're all too familiar with the morning you wake up with the condition. Your eye feels sore, itchy, red, and sticky. Thankfully, pink eye treatment is simple and works fast. At Meridian Ophthalmic Associates in Meridian, our team is here to help you with all of your family eye care needs, including pink eye treatment.
What is Pink Eye?
Also known as conjunctivitis, pink eye is an inflammation of the eyelid and/or eyeball. Usually, pink eye is caused by a viral infection, but sometimes, it can be caused by a bacterial infection.
Common symptoms of pink eye include:
• Sensitivity to light
• Excessive tearing
• Fluid leaking from tear ducts that becomes sticky overnight
• Eye irritation that feels like something is stuck in the eye
• Red eyes
Pink Eye Treatment
Your ophthalmologist will work with you to discover the underlying cause of your pink eye symptoms. If your pink eye is viral, you won't need prescription eye drops to make your condition go away. Instead, your eye doctor will recommend that you focus on symptom relief and use comfort measures like cold compresses, applying a warm washcloth to reduce eye inflammation, and using artificial tears for comfort.
If your pink eye is bacterial, your doctor may prescribe antibiotic eye drops that will work to fight the infection in your eye. If your doctor believes that allergies may be causing your pink eye, they may prescribe antihistamine eye drops to help control your symptoms.
It's important that you use caution when you have pink eye so that you don't transmit the condition to others. Washing your hands regularly is important. You'll also want to be sure not to re-infect yourself with pink eye. If you wear soft contact lenses, your eye doctor will likely recommend that you throw them away, along with any eye makeup, to reduce the risk of re-infection.
Reach Out to Meridian Ophthalmic Associates
If you or your child is showing signs of pink eye, or if you're simply in need of your yearly checkup with an eye doctor, the team at Meridian Ophthalmic Associates in Meridian is here to help. We're here to treat both acute and chronic eye issues, as well as provide you with vision correction services. Are you looking for an eye doctor near me? Reach out to us today to schedule your first appointment; we're excited to become your go-to eye care center for all of your family's vision care needs.
