Maybe your eyes have started to itch, or you have noticed that it turned into a shade of pink. Really different from your usual eyes, right? Could it be an infection?
Now, your doctor is the one who will make the final call, but there are certain symptoms that you can look out for, which gives you clues whether your eyes are infected or not.
An eye infection can certainly show up in many different ways, and there are lots of ways which affects the part of your eye wherein the problem lies. Thus, if you want to know more in regards to eye infection, then it is best that you read on to learn more about what causes eye infection and how can you possibly treat it.
Knowing Eye Infections
An eye infection occurs when there is a harmful microorganism, which might be a bacterium, virus, or a fungus that invades any part of an individual's eyeball or surrounding area. The said areas include the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye), and its thin, moist membrane lining the outer eye and the inner eyelids.
With this said, today's topic focuses on bacterial eye infection, for example, conjunctivitis.
What is Bacterial Conjunctivitis?
The bacterial conjunctivitis is one of the most common types of pink eye, which is mainly caused by the bacteria that has invaded the individual's eyes that has it infected due to various sources of contamination.
With this said, the bacteria might spread through the contract with an infected individual which was exposed through contaminated surfaces or other means such as sinus or ear infections.
Now, the most common type of bacteria that highly causes bacterial conjunctivitis includes the Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influenzae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Also, bacterial conjunctivitis usually produces pus or thick eye discharge, which can affect one or both eyes. And just like in any bacterial infection, to eliminate the bacteria, antibiotics are required for its treatment.
How to Prevent Bacterial Conjunctivitis?
There is only about 30 percent of primary care patients that have infectious conjunctivitis, which is confirmed to be bacterial conjunctivitis. However, there's no need to worry since 80 percent are treated with antibiotics.
However, prevention is better than cure, right? So, here are the things that you can do in order to prevent bacterial conjunctivitis.
Wash Your Hands. Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least about 20 seconds. Do this especially before and after cleaning.
Avoid Touching Your Eyes. Touching or rubbing off your eyes is not a good thing to do against your eyes, so you should avoid doing it. Especially that it can worsen the condition.
Never Use the Same Eye Drop. Do not ever use the same eye drop bottle or dispense for your infected and non-infected eye.
Clean. Clean and wash your pillowcases, washcloths, sheets, and towel often (once/twice a week) in hot water and detergent.
Stop Wearing Contact Lenses. Since contact lenses might irritate the condition more, you should stop wearing it for a while. Not unless your doctor says it is okay to start using them again.
Treating It with Tobramycin
Ophthalmic Tobramycin is a medication that is used to manage the bacterial infections of the eyes. It works by killing the bacteria in the said area, which significantly helps the patient to recover quickly. This medicine can be bought in your local pharmacy and can even be bought with a tobramycin solution coupon for further assistance.
Regarding its drug interaction, this medicine can be used alone or along with other medicines for eye infections. Additionally, since it is in the form of either drops or ointment, it may be used alone during the day.
Before Using Tobramycin
Like other medicines, Tobramycin should also be taken with great precaution since it still contains chemical substances that might trigger unnecessary issues due to negligence. With this said, here are the factors that you should be wary about before using the medication.
Allergy. In deciding on using medicine, knowing if you are allergic to the said medication is a priority. With this said, if you know that you are allergic to Tobramycin or to its likes, then inform your doctor immediately.
Pediatric and Geriatric. Both of these polar age population have no thorough study or investigation whether the medicine causes side effects or problems in the said age group.
Breastfeeding. For breastfeeding women, there are no sufficient studies which determine the risk for infants when using this medication during breastfeeding. However, both you and your doctor should weigh the potential benefits against the possible risks before taking this medication.
Takeaway
Having bacterial conjunctivitis is really uncomfortable and would even risk those who surround you. This is why you need to know the above information to help prevent this kind of condition from further spreading and worsening.
