Most cases of pink eye (conjunctivitis) don ’t require antibiotics

If you or your child has ever had acute conjunctivitis or “pink eye,” you know how nasty it can be.  “Crusty,” “goopy,” “bloodshot,” “itchy,” and “gritty” are all common words used to describe the eye condition that affects some six million people in the US every year. What is conjunctivitis exactly? Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the thin membrane that covers the whites of the eyes. There are three main types of conjunctivitis: allergic, viral, and bacterial. Allergic conjunctivitis often accompanies other allergy symptoms like itchy, runny nose or sneezing. Viral conjunctivitis is the most common and is triggered by the same viruses that cause the common cold. Therefore, it is usually accompanied by cold symptoms like runny nose and cough. Bacterial conjunctivitis causes a thick discharge and responds to antibiotic eye drops or ointment. Treating conjunctivitis It can be hard to distinguish between viral and bacterial conjunctivitis simply by looking at it, so many doctors treat with a topical antibiotic “just in case” it is bacterial. However, according to ophthalmologists bacterial conjunctivitis often goes away on its own, and the practice of treating everyone “just in case” is irresponsible. A new study by the American Academy of Ophthalmology in the journal Ophthalmology shows just how big a problem the overuse of antibiotics for conjunctivitis has become. Researchers looked at more than 340,000 enrollees ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Cold and Flu Drugs and Supplements Eye Health Infectious diseases Source Type: blogs