Don’t go swimming with pink eye and other tips if you have conjunctivitis
If you wake up one day and you have red, itchy and watery eyes, you might have conjunctivitis, or as it’s more commonly known: “pink eye.” Common in children but not uncommon in adults, conjunctivitis is highly contagious and can affect one or both eyes. It can be caused by either a viral or a bacterial infection, which is why it is important to visit our urgent care in Spring Hill for a diagnosis.
Is it conjunctivitis or something more serious?
If you poked yourself in the eye, scratched your eye with a foreign object, or felt something fly into your eye but you can’t get it out, then it’s probably NOT conjunctivitis and you should go to the urgent care or emergency room immediately to prevent further damage and potentially blindness.
Conjunctivitis, meanwhile, is characterized by the following symptoms:
- A feeling of having sand in your eye, even if there is none
- Itching and burning
- Excessive tearing or discharge from the eye
- Swollen eyelids
- Pink/red discoloration of the whites of the eye(s)
- Light sensitivity.
If you are experiencing these symptoms, don’t head to the ER; just head to our Spring Hill urgent care, where you can get diagnosed and treated.
What you should avoid if you have conjunctivitis?
If you wear contact lenses, you should probably take a break while your conjunctivitis is being treated. If you used eye cosmetics after the pink eye developed and before treatment, throw them away or wash your brushes well. Also, don’t share cosmetics with someone else. Don’t go to the swimming pool – the water can spread the conjunctivitis to others and also inflame it in you. If you have the urge to itch your eyes, try to resist; this only makes it worse. Cool compresses can alleviate symptoms of itching for allergic conjunctivitis; warm compresses can relieve pain for viral or bacterial conjunctivitis.
Have an eye problem? Spring Hill urgent care
Our Spring Hill urgent care center is open 7 days a week to make sure that we are here when you have a problem. More than 40% of visits to the ER for eye-related problems are for non-emergency situations, like conjunctivitis. Save money and keep the ER for emergencies; stop in to our walk-in clinic today.
