ocular disease

You find your eyes have become slightly pink and rather itchy. You think nothing of it and simply ignore the situation, blaming your allergies. But what if there was more to your itchy eyes? Your pink or red eyes may be caused by a viral or bacterial infection, more commonly referred to as “pink eye.”

There are several types of pink eye, ranging from the contagious viral or bacterial infection mentioned above, to a common irritation of the conjunctiva – the clear membrane covering the white part of the eye and interior lining of the eyelids.

Your Symptoms can help determine the type of pink eye you have. These symptoms include:

• Allergic conjunctivitis causes itching, redness and excessive tearing in both eyes.

• Bacterial conjunctivitis often spreads to both eyes and causes a heavy discharge, sometimes yellow or greenish. Crusting may appear on eyelids.

• Viral conjunctivitis usually affects only one eye, which has excessive watering and a light discharge. Crusting on eyelids can occur.

• Dry eye causes redness, excessive tearing and a dry sandy feeling.

• Blepharitis is an ocular disease that causes redness, itching and irritation.

Of course, the only way to truly diagnose your condition is to schedule an appointment with your eye doctor at your earliest convenience. Your eye doctor will examine your eyes with a specialized microscope and collect a sample for analysis.

Most types of pink eye are not considered serious and treatment is dependent on the variety of pink eye you have. Antibiotic eye ointments or drops may help bacterial forms of conjunctivitis, while viral conjunctivitis will usually clear up by itself within a week. You should wait until you talk to your eye doctor before trying to self-medicate with any over-the-counter eye drops.

To prevent future outbreaks of pink eye, you should…

• …avoid sharing personal items, including towels, make-up, pillowcases.

• …use tissues and cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough.

• …avoid eye rubbing and touching.

• …wash your hands often.

• …wear protective goggles when swimming.

• …dust and vacuum to cut down on allergens.

• …follow all cleaning and handling instructions for your contacts.

• …see your doctor regularly.

In the end, everyone is at risk of pink eye, but you can minimize that risk by following the above advice. Despite all these precautions, you may still develop pink eye. If you do, as with any eye problem, always consult your eye doctor for treatment and care.

If you have any questions about what you have just read, contact Anne Arundel Eye Center by calling 410-224-2010 or click here today!

Dr. Samuel F. Boles and the rest of the Anne Arundel Eye Center staff are happy to welcome board certified Optometrist Dr. Nathan T. Frank to their ever-growing practice.

“We are an established practice that continuously welcomes new patients and we are very excited to have a physician with Dr. Frank’s background and specialty experience join our staff, to help us continue to provide the utmost care and education within the community,” Dr. Boles said.

That care and education that Dr. Boles mentions is the reason that Anne Arundel Eye Center is proud of its growth over the past five years, now serving over 6,000 patients. The state-of-the-art treatment center, which specializes in glaucoma and cataracts diagnosis and treatment, hired Dr. Frank to support that increased patient base.

Dr. Frank completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Wyoming in 2004 and received his doctorate in Optometry at Pacific University in 2008. As part of his training, Dr. Frank held clinical externships at Alaska Eye Care Center, Arizona; Pacific University College of Optometry, Oregon; Fort Washakie Indian Health Services, Wyoming; Alaska Eye Center, Alaska; and attended weekly grand round lectures at the Wilmer Eye Center at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Frank completed his residency with the Maryland-based eye care center Seidenberg and Protzko Eye Associates with an emphasis on ocular disease, pediatrics and refractive surgery.

Before relocating to Annapolis, Maryland with his wife Lesleigh, a pediatric occupational therapist at Kennedy Krieger, Dr. Frank was owner and optometric physician at DV Eyecare LLC in La Grande, Oregon – a practice providing primary care, contact lens services, and medical optometry. Dr. Frank is a former member of the Oregon Optometric Association and current member of the American Optometric Association, the Maryland Optometric Association, and the Optometric Nutrition Society. He has recently published two Posters – “Bilateral Acute Retinal Necrosis Secondary to HSV-2” and “Bleb Associated Pseudomonal Endophthalmitis.”

Anne Arundel Eye center is delighted to welcome such a highly qualified Optometrist to its practice. Dr. Frank was brought in to help the center handle its increased patient base, while furthering Anne Arundel Eye Center’s commitment to providing comprehensive eye care services, specializing in cataract and glaucoma diagnosis and treatment.

Anne Arundel Eye Center is located at 127 Lubrano Drive, Suite 301, Annapolis, MD, 21401 across from Annapolis Mall. For patient appointment information, please call (410) 224-2010 or visit them at www.AnneArundelEyeCenter.com.

You can follow Anne Arundel Eye Center on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube as well!

Causes and Symptoms of Pink Eye

Dr. Nathan T. Frank Joins Anne Arundel Eye Center