Does pink eye make you feel sick?

Does anyone ever wake up one day craving pink eye? I hope not because that would be pretty grody. In any case, let’s say you do find yourself with a particularly painful and swollen eyeball – what next? Can this eyebrow-raising illness make your body feel as terrible as your peepers look?

What is pink eye anyway?

Before we start throwing around fart jokes or making fun of our Aunt Edna’s ointment collection, it might be helpful to understand what exactly we’re talking about here.

Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, occurs when inflammation causes the white part of your eye (the conjunctiva) to turn reddish-pink. It’s sorta like regular ol’ conjunctivitis but with more unicorn glitter.

Dude, why does this even happen in the first place?

So glad you asked! Here are some suggestions:

  • Bacteria.
  • Viruses.
  • Allergies.
  • Environmental irritants (e.g., smog, pool chemicals).

Some people are particularly prone to getting pink eye due to existing medical conditions such as eczema, asthma or seasonal allergies. If you fall into one of these categories… well then… 💩 happens.

Okay smarty pants, how can I tell if I have it?

From Secretariate standards (that gives us 16 hands for all you horsey folks) away from someone who has just sneezed on their hand and wiped it on their face while muttering something unintelligible about oat milk lattes is probably too close already.

But really though – spreading germs aside – signs that you may have caught the dreaded pink include:

  • Redness in one or both eyes
  • Itching/sensitivity/soreness/pain feeling in—and around—said eyes
  • Tears/wetness
  • Goop/discharging/crustiness collecting in said eyes

Gross. Will pink eye also make the rest of my face/body feel bad?

Good news – beyond feeling grossed out, typically no it won’t! Pink eye is fairly isolated to the actual eyeball region so unless you have some sort of freakish reaction or allergy to your eyedrops/ointment (in which case – go visit your doc right now).

Many people who suffer from conjunctivitis may find that symptoms lessen with time and/or once infections clear up. However, there are occasions where complications can arise including eye pain or sensitivity that has nothing to do with your run-of-the-mill spore party.

So this is all somehow related to porta-potties then?

Well… while hand-to-eye contact certainly plays a role in spreading germs between individuals via touch/makeup/facial treatments… there’s more than one way to catch bacterial conjunctivitis – sometimes called “dirty dust” among those who enjoy anatomical anarchy:

  • Windy days,
  • Dust storms,
  • Being near those who farm/work/garden without proper protection.

Infections caught through these methods are generally less severe than traditional yellow gooey kinds but still allow you bragging rights when competing about nastiest things ever caught on vacation.

Can I spread this around like glitter at a rave?

Yup– not only is pinkeye wildly contagious but some types (cough viral) can last anywhere from 5 – 14 days after developing symptoms (Sorry Snooki!). This means even after you’ve been diagnosed, confirmed and treated for pixie dust plague — outside world beware!

If you’re toeing the sneezing harbinger status threshold… try staying away from public places LOL J/K get an online video consult if possible just don’t let anyone get too close for comfort!

Alright, alright. How can I cure it?

Hang in there friend! Treatment options — just like with every delightful medical condition out there — may vary depending on the type of pink you have, age group (infants in particular don’t mess around when it comes to scampi fever), how long you’ve had symptoms and often thanks to medication allergies or fluke quirky genetics.

If bacterial is the underlying cause for your infection– antibiotics will surely chase those buggers off -sometimes orally or via eyedrops/oitment; while viral strains won’t be as responsive treatment-wise. BOO (unless again, my jokes are supposed to adhere here too- then yay) —

Rest assured though most people suffering from pink eye won’t suddenly suffer a head-to-head battle royale due to associated illness/body discomfort which we already covered. It’s been estimated that approximately half of all cases clear up on their own within two weeks… but why not spice things up with Simba eyeball makeup instead? Overboiling that weedwhipping motor sounds decent by now tbh…

Anddd one last thing before we go…

While pinkeye probs doesn’t play well with others (just ask Sarah McCutie over there who rubs her eyes more than Kim Kardashian trying new contouring tactics) – fortunately most flareups are short-lived and treatable—with no other lasting damage/illnesses caused beyond wincing/hiding under sunglasses!/ humorizing your paper scroll pals along the way #eyeballjokesrock.

Just remember through proper hygiene/self-care/& even some odd-ball avoidance tips—your window(s) into the soul will remain unclouded!

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