Comment from: pirategirl007, 25-34 Female (Patient)Published: March 24
I'm currently suffering from my fifth case of pink eye in 12 months. I am 28 and never had pink eye as a child. I am an avid hand washer and am not around children frequently. I can manage to stay away from colds, viruses, flus and the like at work, but pink eye keeps plaguing me. I initially picked up my first case at work about three or four years ago, but this past year has been horrendous. I am not in contact with many people directly at work (about 10 a day) but work in a rather large complex with many more employees. Usually, my symptoms last two to three days after starting the antibiotic drops and then drastically improve. This time that is not the case. I am on my fifth day of antibiotics, and after having relief on the second and third days, my eyes have now flared up worse than before I started the medication. I think it's back to the doctor for me tomorrow. I am starting to think this outbreak is allergic conjunctivitis, and my current drops are just not going to help it.
Comment from: 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: April 02
I am a 50-year-old female who works at an elementary school. I just had my first case of pink eye. I got it first in one eye, and three days later, in the other eye. It has been the most miserable experience of my life. It's been six days, and it's still hanging on, even with the tube of antibiotics. My eyes are red, swollen, drainy, and grainy. I have blurred vision, headaches, fevers and chills.
Comment from: mom2x, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: February 19
I have been teaching school for 20 years and surprisingly, this is the first time I have ever had pink eye. It has been quite a yucky experience! I have been very uncomfortable from the pain and feeling that I had sand in my eye. There seems to be a constant discharge and the area around my eye is raw from the discharge. After two days of antibiotic drops, I can tell some difference but not a big improvement. After reading about it, apparently it will take several more days to be resolved. Sure hope I don't ever get it again!
Comment from: Call Me Rosy, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: August 01
I have had symptoms for three months including redness in the conjunctiva, swollen eyelids, watery eyes, some morning crystallization in the eyelash area, occasional itchiness and the feeling of something in my eye. With the watering of the eye during the day, the redness lessens, but in the morning, my eyes are again bright red. Recently, I was told that my pink eye is due to an adenovirus and that it should clear up in two to three weeks. I was told to do nothing. What I have found helpful is to put a cool eye mask over my eyes for several minutes, once or twice a day. It has been three weeks and the conditions are unchanged.
Comment from: nickey, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: April 03
I am 59 years old. I got my first case of pink eye in December of 2008. Since then, it keeps recurring every few weeks. I've seen the doctor three times in the last three months, and I've been on two different eye drops. (They both work, but soon the condition returns.) I'm not around children and can't completely get rid of this. I guess it's back to the doctor for me.
Comment from: Adam, 35-44 Male (Patient)Published: March 16
I started getting pink eye when I was 35 and have had reoccurrences about 20 times in the past year and a half. Although I currently have no health insurance because I'm between jobs (Go Team America), I plan on going to the rheumatologist when my insurance becomes active in three months.
Comment from: DeeDee, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: March 11
I'm 58 and got pink eye for the first time ever six months ago in both eyes. Now I have it again in one eye only. It's less severe this time, but it hasn't been getting any better for the last seven days. I'm again using Gentamicin Sulfate and thought it would have cleared up by now. I'm glad to know others have gotten it late in life, and repeatedly, and it's lasting longer than a week.
Comment from: pinkyeyed,Published: March 05
I got a bacterial form of pink eye back in high school from sharing makeup with my friends. I had to throw out all of my makeup, buy new, and quit sharing. It went away in a week with prescription eye drops. I now have pink eye again, only this time I can't figure out how I got it. My symptoms appeared two days ago. I'm 42, live alone with four cats, have no friends in the area (I just moved to my new location six months ago), and it's been more than a week since I've left the house because of the weather. I'm hoping it goes away on its own as I don't have insurance and no money to see a doctor since I'm currently unemployed. I've been trying to keep the area clean, am not applying makeup to that eye, resting, and praying it heals on its own.
Patient Discussions are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your physician or other qualified health provider because of something you have read on MedicineNet. The opinions expressed in the comments section are of the author and the author alone. MedicineNet does not endorse any specific product, service or treatment.
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints, the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease.
Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory disease,
primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can
affect other parts of the digestive system as well. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and weight loss are
common symptoms.
Systemic lupus erythematosus is a condition characterized by chronic inflammation of body tissues caused by autoimmune disease. Lupus can cause disease of the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, and nervous
system. When only the skin is involved, the condition is called discoid lupus.
When internal organs are involved, the condition is called systemic lupus
erythematosus (SLE).
Itching can be a common problem. Itches can be localized or generalized. There are many causes of itching to include: infection (jock itch, vaginal itch), disease (hyperthyroidism, liver or kidney), reactions to drugs, and skin infestations (pubic or body lice). Treatment for itching varies depending on the cause of the itch.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammation of the colon. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rectal bleeding. Ulcerative colitis is closely related to Crohn's disease, and together they are referred to as inflammatory bowel disease. Treatment depends upon the type of ulcerative colitis diagnosed.
Coxsackie viruses may be divided into two groups. Type A causes hand, foot, and mouth disease and conjunctivitis, while type B causes pleurodynia. Both types sometimes cause meningitis, myocarditis, and pericarditis. There is no specific treatment for this disease.
An allergy refers to a misguided reaction by our immune system in response to bodily contact with certain foreign substances. When these allergens come in contact with the body, it causes the immune system to develop an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to it. It is estimated that 50 million North Americans are affected by allergic conditions. The parts of the body that are prone to react to allergies include the eyes, nose, lungs, skin, and stomach. Common allergic disorders include hay fever, asthma, allergic eyes, allergic eczema, hives, and allergic shock.
The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). The intestinal complications of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis differ because of the characteristically dissimilar behaviors of the intestinal inflammation in these two diseases.
A subconjunctival hemorrhage is bleeding under the eye's conjunctiva. There is usually no obvious cause for a subconjunctival hemorrhage, but it may be caused by sneezing, vomiting, infections on the outside of the eye, coughing, and clotting disorders. Symptoms and signs include blood in the white of the eye and a sense of fullness under the lid. No treatment is needed.
Eye allergy (or allergic eye disease) are typically associated with hay fever and atopic dermatitis. Medications and cosmetics may cause eye allergies. Allergic eye conditions include allergic conjunctivitis, conjunctivitis with atopic dermatitis, vernal keratoconjunctivitis, and giant papillary conjunctivitis. Dry eye, tear-duct obstruction, and conjunctivitis due to infection are frequently confused with eye allergies. Eye allergies may be treated with topical antihistamines, decongestants, topical mast-cell stabilizers, topical antiinflammatory drugs, systemic medications, and allergy shots.
Kawasaki disease is a rare children's disease characterized by a fever that lasts more than five days and at least four of the following five symptoms are present: rash, swollen neck lymph gland, red tongue, swelling or redness of the hands or feet, and conjunctivitis. High doses of aspirin are used to treat Kawasaki disease. Cortisone and antiinflammatory drugs may also be used during treatment.
Many common eye disorders resolve without treatment and some may be managed with over-the-counter (OTC) products. It's important to visit a physician or ophthalmologist is the problem involves the eyeball itself or the condition hasn't improved after 72 hours of use of an eye-care OTC product.
Blepharitis is inflammation of the eyelids. Acne rosacea, Staphylococcal bacteria, allergies, sensitivities to makeup or contact lens solutions, head lice, or other conditions may cause blepharitis. Symptoms and signs include itchy eyelids, burning sensation in the eyes, crusting of the eyelids, light sensitivity, red, swollen eyelids, loss of eyelashes, and dandruff of the lashes and eyebrows. Proper eyelid hygiene and a regular cleaning routine controls blepharitis.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) is an infectious disease that's transmitted by the bite of a tick infected with the Rickettsia rickettsii bacterial organism. Initial symptoms of RMSF include fever, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and severe headache. Later symptoms include rash, abdominal pain, joint pain, and diarrhea. Treatment usually involves a tetracycline antibiotic.
Trachoma is an infectious disease caused by the Chlamydia trachomatis bacteria. Symptoms and signs include redness and irritation of the eyes with tearing. Trachoma is diagnosed by examining the eyes and eyelids. Treatment involves a single dose of azithromycin (Zithromax) or the use of topical tetracycline (Achromycin) ointment. Infected individuals should be counseled about sanitation and taught simple cleanliness.
Occupational asthma is a type of asthma caused by exposure to a substance in the workplace. Symptoms and signs include wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. The usual treatment for occupational asthma involves removal from exposure and the use of bronchodilators and inhaled anti-inflammatory medicines.
Infections, bites and stings, infestations, chronic diseases, sun exposure, and dry skin are among the numerous causes of itching.
Anti-itch creams and lotions containing camphor, menthol, phenol,
pramoxine (Caladryl, Tronolane), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), or benzocaine can bring relief.
Some cases of itching will respond to corticosteroid medications.
It is best to avoid scratching and itch when possible to avoid worsening of the condition and disruption of the skin that could lead to bacterial infection.
If itching persists with time or worsens, or is associated with skin lesions, consulting a health-care practitioner is advisable.
What is an itch?
Itch is an irritation in the skin that elicits an urge to scratch. Itches are a common problem and can be localized (limited to one area of the bo...
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
Eyesight RSS
Healthy Living Tips
I'm currently suffering from my fifth case of pink eye in 12 months. I am 28 and never had pink eye as a child. I am an avid hand washer and am not around children frequently. I can manage to stay away from colds, viruses, flus and the like at work, but pink eye keeps plaguing me. I initially picked up my first case at work about three or four years ago, but this past year has been horrendous. I am not in contact with many people directly at work (about 10 a day) but work in a rather large complex with many more employees. Usually, my symptoms last two to three days after starting the antibiotic drops and then drastically improve. This time that is not the case. I am on my fifth day of antibiotics, and after having relief on the second and third days, my eyes have now flared up worse than before I started the medication. I think it's back to the doctor for me tomorrow. I am starting to think this outbreak is allergic conjunctivitis, and my current drops are just not going to help it.
Related Reading: pink eye