{"id":9555,"date":"2022-08-16T16:33:31","date_gmt":"2022-08-16T23:33:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/?p=9555"},"modified":"2022-08-16T16:33:35","modified_gmt":"2022-08-16T23:33:35","slug":"is-it-allergies-or-pink-eye","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/is-it-allergies-or-pink-eye\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Allergies or Pink Eye?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Both <a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/allergy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">allergies<\/a> and the infection known as pink eye can cause inflammation of the eyes, leading to similar symptoms. Knowing which condition you\u2019re affected by is key to seeking proper treatment. Below we review the differences between the types of conjunctivitis and the appropriate treatments for each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Types of Conjunctivitis<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/ear-nose-throat-doctor-visit-1280x853.jpg\" alt=\"Female doctor therapist gross allergist nutritionist otolaryngologist and male patient sitting at a table in a clinic office. Medicine clinic hospital.\" class=\"wp-image-9558\" width=\"305\" height=\"203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/ear-nose-throat-doctor-visit-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/ear-nose-throat-doctor-visit-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/ear-nose-throat-doctor-visit-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/ear-nose-throat-doctor-visit-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 305px) 100vw, 305px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>There are three main types of conjunctivitis: allergic, viral and bacterial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Allergic conjunctivitis <\/strong>is triggered by exposure to allergens, like grass pollen at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityofsalem.net\/\" target=\"_blank\">Riverfront City Park<\/a>. Allergens can cause the body to produce histamine, a chemical that causes inflammation in the eyes.<\/li><li>Viral conjunctivitis is caused by viruses similar to the common cold or other respiratory infections. You can get viral conjunctivitis if you contact someone else who has it.<\/li><li><strong>Bacterial conjunctivitis <\/strong>is caused by the same type of bacteria that cause strep throat and staph infections, like <em>Streptococcus <\/em>and <em>Staphylococcus.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Symptom Comparison<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Below is a chart that can help you determine what type of conjunctivitis you have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Symptom<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Allergic<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Viral<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Bacterial<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mild itching<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>X<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Intense itching<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>&nbsp;<\/td><td>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pink color<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>X<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Watery discharge<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Thick yellow\/green discharge<\/td><td>&nbsp;<\/td><td>&nbsp;<\/td><td>X<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Burning<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>X<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Both eyes affected<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Pain<\/td><td>&nbsp;<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>X<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Gritty feeling<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>&nbsp;<\/td><td>X<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Accompanied by a respiratory illness<\/td><td>&nbsp;<\/td><td>X<\/td><td>&nbsp;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Treatments for Conjunctivitis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The type of conjunctivitis you have will dictate which treatment will help. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Allergic conjunctivitis <\/strong>can be treated with over-the-counter antihistamines, which help with inflammation.<\/li><li><strong>Viral conjunctivitis <\/strong>has no specific treatment, but will go away after the virus has run its course. You can manage symptoms by applying a warm compress to the eyes.<\/li><li><strong>Bacterial conjunctivitis <\/strong>can be treated with antibiotics that a physician at <span class=\"company-name \">Willamette ENT &amp; Facial Plastic Surgery<\/span> prescribes.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Preventing Conjunctivitis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/conjunctivitis\/infographics\/protect-yourself.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>, \u201cPublic school kids in the U.S. miss 3 million school days each year as a result of pink eye.\u201d Fortunately, it can be prevented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Allergic conjunctivitis can be prevented by practicing avoidance of known allergens, taking antihistamines daily and undergoing immunotherapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis can be prevented by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Washing your hands often<\/li><li>Avoiding rubbing your eyes<\/li><li>Not sharing makeup, especially eye makeup<\/li><li>Using clean tissues to wipe your face and eyes<\/li><li>Washing pillowcases frequently<\/li><li>Cleaning and replacing contact lenses often<\/li><li>Washing your hands before handling contact lenses<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information on <a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/allergy\/allergies\/allergy-symptoms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">allergy symptoms<\/a> or to schedule an appointment, call <span class=\"company-name \">Willamette ENT &amp; Facial Plastic Surgery<\/span> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><ul class=\"related-posts\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/understanding-cold-vs-allergy-symptoms-how-to-tell-the-difference\/\" class=\"related-post\">Understanding Cold vs. Allergy Symptoms: How to Tell the Difference<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/your-cozy-abode-might-be-fueling-your-allergies-this-winter\/\" class=\"related-post\">Your Cozy Abode Might Be Fueling Your Allergies This Winter<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/could-honey-cure-your-allergies\/\" class=\"related-post\">Could Honey Cure Your Allergies?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Both allergies and the infection known as pink eye can cause inflammation of the eyes, leading to similar symptoms. Knowing which condition you\u2019re affected by is key to seeking proper treatment. Below we review the differences between the types of conjunctivitis and the appropriate treatments for each. Types of Conjunctivitis There are three main types&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9558,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Both allergies and the infection known as pink eye can cause inflammation of the eyes, leading to similar symptoms.","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9555"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9555"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9555\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9560,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9555\/revisions\/9560"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entsalem.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}