The Eye Disease Expert

Acute Infective Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis means inflammation of the conjunctiva. Most important
conjunctivitis is caused by infection, milder conjunctivitis may be allergic
or from physical irritants such as foreign bodies, sunlight or wind. Rarely,
systemic disease or parasites may be the cause. Conjunctivitis may be
acute, subacute, or chronic.

Bacterial Conjunctivitis - may be caused by a wide range of organisms:

• Staphylococcus aureus
• Streptococcus pneumoniae
• Streptococcus pyogenes
• Haemophilus influenzae
• Koch-Weeks bacillus
• Morax-Axenfield bacillus
• Pseudomonas pyocynaea
• Neisseria gonorrhoea

Symptoms of Bacterial Conjunctivitis

1. gritty, foreign body sensation
2. photophobia
3. lacrimation
4. eyelids sealed together with discharge on wakening
5. vision is clear and cornea is bright

Signs

1. - diffuse redness of the conjunctiva of the eyeball and the eyelids
2. - purulent discharge - but milder cases are free from discharge
3. - possible corneal complications

Treatment

• Do not pad a discharging eye as by closing the conjunctival sac

conditions are favoured for bacterial proliferation.

• Sunglasses to diminish photophobia.
• Removal of discharges or secretions by the frequent instillation of

antibiotic eye drops.

• Eye ointment applied at bedtime has longer action then eyedrops

prevents sealing of lid margins by discharge.

• Awareness of the danger of spreading the infection to the other eye

or other people.

• Maintain a good personal hygiene.

Chronic conjunctivitis may follow an acute conjunctivitis that has been

inadequately or ineffectively treated, but failure to respond may be due to

some other lesion - viral corneal ulcer, foreign body, infected tear sac.