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Conjunctivitis is one of the most common eye diseases.
Its name is descriptive, because the condition involves inflammation
of the conjunctiva - a transparent connective tissue layer covering
the white of the eye. Any inflammatory response therefore, which
naturally includes vascular dilation and engorgement, will give
the eye a red appearance.
Bacterial
Conjunctivitis
Acute onset of redness, grittiness, itching, swelling
of lids, mucupurulent discharge, beefy red conjunctiva and crusted
eyelids stuck together on waking. More common in children. Causative
organisms are staph. aureus, epidermidis, strep. Pneumonia.
Viral
Conjunctivitis
Acute onset of watery discharge, redness, discomfort
and photophobia. Bilateral in about 60% of cases, typically one
eye preceding the other by few days. More common in adults. Follicles
can develop on the undersides of the lids.
Herpes
(simplex & zoster) & Chlamydia
conjunctivitis. The later is the most common cause of
neonatal conjunctivitis. It is noteworthy that conjuntival reaction
in neonates is papillary & not follicular because infants cannot
form follicles until about the third month of life.
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