Learn More About Pink Eye vs Allergies
Is it pink eyes or allergies? Your eyes are incredibly sensitive to irritants and microbes. While red eyes can result from a lack of sleep, foreign body in the eye, trauma, or simply not blinking enough, they can also be a sign of infections and disorders.
Pink eye is one of the most common ailments to your eyes, but many people have trouble distinguishing between pink eye and regular seasonal allergies.
While the symptoms may overlap, pink eye and allergies are two distinct health issues. Getting the right treatment requires the right diagnosis. Let's take a look at pink eye and seasonal allergies and what sets the two apart.
Why Your Eyes Turn Red
The whites of your eyes are called the sclera. The sclera is actually home to thousands of blood vessels that are normally constricted, making them nearly invisible. This maintains the white color that you normally see.
However, when you have something in your eye or suffer something that causes inflammation in your eyes, the blood vessels dilate, becoming more apparent. This creates the redness that is characteristic of many ocular ailments, including pink eye, dry eyes, allergies, and more.
What is Pink Eye?
Pink eye, also known as infectious conjunctivitis, refers to a contagious infection in the conjunctiva of your eye. The infection is located in the thin mucus layer that lines the outsides of the white area of your eye. Pink eye is one of the most common eye ailments.
Each year, doctors report over 3 million cases of pink eye in the United States. While it can affect anyone of any age, it is most common in children as well as their parents and teachers, as schools often make the perfect environment for contamination and spreading of the disease.
Read: Pink Eye Treatment Online
Causes of Pink Eye
What causes pink eye? When most doctors say "pink eye," they are referring to its viral or bacterial form. Bacterial conjunctivitis is more common in children than in adults. However, for both adults and children, the majority of infectious cases are viral. Viral conjunctivitis is the most common form of pink eye and is most commonly caused by adenovirus, a virus normally responsible for causing upper respiratory infections and sore throats. In rarer instances, viral pink eye may be caused by:
Herpes simplex virus
Picornavirus
Varicella zoster virus
Poxvirus.
Next to viruses, bacteria are the next leading cause of pink eye. Staphylococcus and Streptococcus are the bacteria most often implicated in conjunctivitis. These bacteria are usually associated with food poisoning and strep throat, respectively.
In rare instances, bacterial pink eye has been caused by the bacteria responsible for chlamydia and gonorrhea. In these cases, the mother may be a carrier of the bacteria and pass it down to her newborn during birth, but most hospitals are required to put drops of ointment in the infant's eyes to prevent this form of pink eye.
Symptoms of Pink Eye
How do you know if you are getting pink eye? The main symptom of pink eye is the reddish, pink shade in the eyes and eyelids caused by inflammation and irritation.
Some other general symptoms of pink eye include:
Swelling in the sclera or inside the eyelids
General irritation in the eyes and eyelids
Eye discharge
Crusting on the lashes and eyelids
Increased amount of tears
Eyes that feel itchy or burning
Feeling grit in the eyes
Sensation that you have something stuck in your eyes
Symptoms can also change based on the cause of the infection. Viral conjunctivitis often causes a clear discharge that may make you look like you have watery eyes or you are crying more.
Viral pink eye may also cause swelling or tenderness in the area in front of the ears, a sign that the virus has spread to the lymph nodes in the area. You may also experience cold-like symptoms, including a runny nose, sinus congestion, and coughing.
Bacterial conjunctivitis features a thicker, stickier discharge that appears yellow, gray, or green in color. This discharge is thick enough to paste your eyelids together when you wake up. Bacterial pink eye also tends to come with mild pain, and the upper eyelid may appear droopy due to swelling (a condition called pseudoptosis). Bacterial pink eye can affect one or both eyes.
Pink Eye Treatment
Can pink eye go away on its own? When it comes to treating viral forms of pink eye, you generally will not require medication. Antibiotics only work on bacteria, so there is no point in administering them with a viral infection.
If your case of viral pink eye is caused by herpes or another severe virus, your doctor may prescribe antiviral medication. Your doctor may also prescribe lubricating eye drops to soothe irritation and ease discomfort, but mainly you will require plenty of bed rest.
How Long Does Pink Eye Last?
Your pink eye should run its course within seven days but can have residual symptoms for up to three weeks.
What Gets Rid of Pink Eye?
If the infection is bacterial pink eye rather than viral, it can be quickly and easily treated using antibiotics. Your doctor may prescribe a topical antibiotic ointment or eye drops. Antibiotics are highly effective against bacterial forms of pink eye. Our dedicated team of board-certified physicians may recommend a topical antibiotic ointment, such as erythromycin, to target and eliminate the bacterial infection. Antibiotic ointment works by inhibiting the growth of bacteria, helping to alleviate symptoms and promote a quicker recovery. You should see drastic improvements in symptoms and comfort within 24 hours after first applying the antibiotic treatment.
Pink Eye Prevention
Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are both highly contagious and spread by direct contact with secretions or contact with contaminated objects. Infected individuals should not share towels, cosmetics, linens, or eating utensils.
What Are Seasonal Allergies?
About 8 percent of adults in America suffer from seasonal allergies, which is also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis or hay fever. Despite the name, seasonal allergies can happen all year round, though they tend to be less common in the winter.
Depending on the allergen that triggers symptoms, you may experience allergies during more than one season. Mold, pet dander, dust, and other indoor allergens can also trigger an allergic reaction.
What Causes Seasonal Allergies?
Allergic rhinitis happens when your immune system thinks that a normally harmless substance is actually dangerous. The body responds by releasing histamines and other chemicals into your bloodstream in an attempt to defend your system. These histamines and chemicals are what produce the symptoms of seasonal allergies.
Think of histamines as your bodyguards. They are created in your mast cells and help your body get rid of things that may bother you or cause you harm. Despite what they do to you, they are ultimately beneficial to your health and natural defenses.
They begin the process of removing allergens from your body or off the surface of your skin through any means necessary. This unfortunately means sneezing, coughing, crying, or itching.
When histamines are first released, they boost blood flow to the area where the allergens have taken effect. This triggers the process of inflammation, which signals your immune system to send other chemicals to begin repairs and healing.
What are the worst months for allergies? The substances that trigger your allergies vary from person to person and season to season:
Spring: Trees, particularly birch, cedar, poplar, and horse chestnut
Summer: Grasses, like ryegrass, and weeds
Fall: Pollen from ragweed, nettles, and mugwort
Winter: Mainly indoor allergens, including mold, dust mites, cockroaches, and pet dander
Symptoms of Seasonal Allergies
How do you know if you have seasonal allergies? If you have allergies, you have probably shown symptoms for several years. Allergies can also lead to ear infections and sinusitis.
The most common symptoms of allergic rhinitis include:
Constant sneezing, especially after waking up in the morning
Runny or stuffy nose
Red, irritated eyes
Watery, itchy eyes
Postnasal drip
Itchiness or irritation in your throat, sinuses, and ear canals
Ear congestion
Drainage from your nose, which usually appears clear and watery but may become thick, cloudy, and yellowish in color if you develop a sinus or nasal infection
More severe symptoms of allergic rhinitis that are less common include:
Headaches
Wheezing
Coughing
General shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Treatments for Seasonal Allergies
How do you get rid of seasonal allergies? Many of the treatments surrounding seasonal allergies revolve around avoiding the allergens that trigger a reaction. This includes:
Using air filters in your home to remove pollen and other airborne particles
Checking local weather forecasts for pollen
Remaining indoors or limiting outdoor time when pollen counts are high
Wearing a dust mask outside, particularly on windy days
Avoiding cigarette smoke
If avoiding seasonal allergies is difficult or impossible, your doctor can prescribe medication to help ease symptoms, including steroid nasal sprays. Your doctor may also advise you to take over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants, including combinations of:
Cetirizine (Zyrtec)
Phenylephrine (Benadryl)
Diphenhydramine
Acetaminophen
Read: Get Seasonal Allergy Treatment Online
Allergic Conjunctivitis
Many of the symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis overlap with pink eye, making it easy to mix the two conditions up. What makes the two even more confusing is that pink eye may be caused by allergens.
Allergic conjunctivitis combines the symptoms of pink eye and seasonal allergies. That means red, watery, irritated eyes accompanied by:
Itchy nose
Sneezing
Scratchy throat
Stuffiness
Allergic pink eye occurs in both eyes, but it is not contagious at all.
Conjunctivitis Treatment
If your doctor determines your conjunctivitis is due to allergies, they may suggest antihistamine eye drops for short-term use. Of course, avoidance and/or elimination of the offending allergens is the best way to avoid your body's reaction and subsequent inflammation in the eyes.
How Can You Tell the Difference?
So, how can you tell the difference between an eye infection and allergies? Symptoms can be a big help in differentiating between pink eye and allergic rhinitis. The symptoms for pink eye generally center around the eyes. While some symptoms of allergies do involve the irritation of the eye, look out for other indicators around the ears, nose, throat, and general congestion.
The best way to know for sure is to get a professional diagnosis from your doctor. With conjunctivitis, diagnosis involves a physical examination of the symptoms and an in-depth look at your personal health history. The diagnosis can be assessed via an online doctor visit, and lab tests are generally not necessary.
However, if your doctor suspects you have a more severe or uncommon form of viral or bacterial pink eye, they may recommend in-person testing in order to take a sample of your eye discharge. This can help your doctor better identify the specific virus and bacteria to determine a proper course of treatment.
For allergic rhinitis, a doctor will consider your symptoms and your personal history, and perform a physical examination. Your doctor can also perform tests to determine exactly what allergens may trigger a reaction. With a skin test, your doctor will put small amounts of different allergens on your skin to see if it causes any sort of reaction. Your doctor may also order other lab tests to determine any potential allergens.
Part of good health is knowing what makes you feel unwell. If you experience either pink eye or allergies, book an appointment with one of PlushCare's top-tier doctors online now to get yourself checked out and treated as soon as possible.
When Should I Seek Immediate Treatment?
It is important to be seen by a medical professional immediately if you have any of the following symptoms that accompany your red eyes:
Photophobia (extreme sensitivity to light)
Severe headache with nausea
Foreign body sensation that prevents you from opening the eye
Change in visual acuity (sight)
Read More About Pink Eye and Allergies:
Sources
Center For Disease Control and Prevention. Pink Eye. Accessed on July 02, 2019 at https://www.cdc.gov/conjunctivitis/index.html
Kids Health. Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis). Accessed on July 02, 2019 at https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/conjunctivitis.html
Cleveland Clinic. Conjunctivitis. Accessed on July 02, 2019 at https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8614-pink-eye
