Services for Children

Pink Eye

What is the conjunctiva?

The conjunctiva is the membrane that covers the front part of the eyeball.  When you look at the eye and see the “white” of the eye, you are actually looking through the conjunctiva to the white shell of the eyeball (the sclera).  The conjunctiva is a very thin, moist membrane – like the lining on the inside of your mouth and nose.  When the eyes are red it is almost always the blood vessels within the conjunctiva that become swollen – the sclera does not have any blood vessels of its own.

What is conjunctivitis?

When the conjunctiva is inflamed, for any reason, this is termed conjunctivitis.   Signs and symptoms of conjunctivitis include redness, swelling of the lids, tearing, itching, and (sometimes) light sensitivity.  While there are many causes of conjunctivitis the end result looks pretty much all the same; since all types of conjunctivitis look similar, the history takes on a particular importance.  For example, if all the kids in a school have conjunctivitis and this is taking place during the season when there is an epidemic of infectious conjunctivitis, then the likely diagnosis is infectious conjunctivitis.  Similarly, if a child has seasonal allergies and now has itchy, uncomfortable eyes, and there is a lot of pollen in the air, then allergic conjunctivitis is most likely.  The reason to visit an ophthalmologist is that not all red eyes are conjunctivitis, and not all types of conjunctivitis are treated the same way.