Conjunctivitis, colloquially known as “pink eye,” describes a condition where the insides of your eyelids and the whites of your eyes swell up and appear red. It has multiple potential causes, but the transmission is generally through direct contact with eyes. Dr. Edwin Y. Endo, O.D. & Associates has dealt with “pink eye” many times at their Honolulu-based office, and for your benefit, the local eye doctors would like to explain its causes and symptoms in more detail.

Here’s what you need to know about conjunctivitis:

• Pink Eye Can Be Contagious or Non-Contagious: There are three main forms of pink eye: bacterial, viral, and allergic. The first two are highly contagious, with the viral form caused from the same virus as the common cold. Allergic conjunctivitis is the body’s natural reaction to an eye irritant, such as pollen, dust, or air pollution.

• How Does Pink Eye Spread? Contagious forms of pink eye spread whenever anything infected touches your eyes. Some of the most common ways this happens is when you don’t properly clean your contact lenses, neglect to wash your hands before inserting them, or share makeup with an infected person.

• Symptoms of Pink Eye: You can recognize conjunctivitis by redness in the eye whites or inner eyelids, a constant feeling that there’s something in your eye (foreign body sensation), blurred vision, and eyes being “glued” shut in the morning.

• Is Pink Eye Serious? It can be. Infections will usually clear up on their own or with an eye doctor’s help, but if the infection spreads to important eye systems, pink eye can permanently damage your sight. See a doctor as soon as possible if you notice symptoms, and they will test for it.

• Pink Eye Treatment: Treatment is usually based on relieving symptoms (e.g. using eye drops or applying a cold compress). In severe cases, such as viral conjunctivitis, your eye doctor may recommend anti-inflammatory drops. While recovering, you’re strongly encouraged to replace your eye makeup, change your sheets more frequently, and wash your hands more often.

If you’re looking for an eye doctor in Honolulu, the office of Edwin Y. Endo, O.D. & Associates is currently accepting new patients. The office can be reached for appointments at (808) 487-5500. More information about the optometrists is available online.