Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis): Causes, Symptoms & Treatment.

Pedro_P

A boy shows signs of pink eye. Conjunctivitis is a leading cause of children being absent from day care or school.
Credit: Aisylu Ahmadieva | Shutterstock
▼ Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, develops when the blood vessels in the transparent membrane, or conjunctiva, that line the eyelid and the white part of the eyeball get inflamed. The inflammation causes blood vessels to become more visible and gives the whites of the eyes a distinct pink or red tint, which is where the condition gets its name.
Causes
Pink eye is one of the most common ailments to affect both children and adults, according to the National Eye Institute(NEI). There are four main factors that can cause pink eye: an allergic reaction, a foreign substance in the eye, a viral infection or a bacterial infection.
When it is caused by a bacterial or viral infection, pink eye can be very contagious.
"It is spread when a person touches his or her own eye and then touches the eye of another person; or it is spread to the individual by touching the infection in one's own nose or sinus," said Dr. Jill Swartz, practicing physician at GoHealth Urgent Care.
Viral conjunctivitis is the most common form of pink eye and it is most commonly caused by a cold virus, according to the American  Academy of Ophthalmology. It can also be caused by the herpes simplex virus. (▪ ▪ ▪)

► Please, read the full note here: Source