mitos

1. A Single Look Can Spread the Infection

This myth sounds a little kooky. After all, eye contact can’t even spread infection in the
most far-fetched zombie movies. But still this myth persists. This particular
misconception is the pet of incorrigible children and the bane of elementary school
nurses.

So far, medical professionals have not discovered a single disease spread through
simple eye contact.

2. Anyone Can Give You Pink Eye

When you encounter someone with inflamed eyes, shying away is a natural instinct.
Some kinds of conjunctivitis are in fact highly contagious. These forms of pink eye
spread through sharing washcloths, borrowing eye makeup, and exposing the eyes to
bacteria.

However, many forms of pink eye aren’t contagious at all. Eye irritants, like certain
chemicals, and seasonal allergens can cause the same pinkness.

3. Pillow + Flatulence = Pink Eye

This myth also tends to circulate on playgrounds and in high school quads. The story
goes that if a prankster, ehem, “releases bad air” on your pillowcase, you’ll wind up with
pink eye. Because some pink eye comes from bacteria, this might happen if said
prankster wore no undergarments and you unwittingly slept on the pillowcase
immediately after.

Flatulence is primarily composed of methane gas, which, while it may stink, can’t cause
infection. To cause an infection, this prankster’s flatulence would have to contain an
unusually high concentration of bacteria. And, because bacteria don’t survive exposure
to open air for long, any plausible risk disappears after a few minutes.

4. Pink Eye Could Blind You . . . Or Worse

The idea that pink eye could blind or kill you doesn’t hold a lot of water. Most of the time
pink eye is a minor infection. In some cases, it even resolves itself within 7 to 10 days. It
is important, however, to consult with a doctor because swelling, discolouration, and
itching of the eyes may indicate a more serious condition (one that does actually
endanger your eyesight).

Sufferers should seek immediate medical attention if they develop a rash, fever, or
severe eye pain.

5. Red Eye is Just a Kind of Pink Eye

Not all eye discolouration qualifies as pink eye. Many types of eye irritation cause
pinkness. Pink eye results in bright inflammation on the surface of the eye. Red eye
manifests as redness on or around the eye and usually indicates conditions other than
allergies or infection. These conditions include:

• Foreign objects, like insects or metal fragments, in the eye

• Glaucoma
• Infection of the eye socket
• Injury to the surface of the eye, such as scrapes or sores

6. There’s Only One Treatment

Because many people don’t know that there are many causes for pink eye, they
assume the treatment for each case of pink eye is exactly the same. There are actually
a range of treatment options, depending on the cause of the infection. Common
treatments for each type include:

• Allergy-related: antihistamines, removal of allergens, steroid eye drops for

inflammation
• Bacterial: antibiotics regimens
• Dry Eye Syndrome: moisturizing eye drops, lubricating ointments, punctual plugs
• Type I Herpes: inhibiting medications
• Viral: improved hygiene, antivirals

7. You Have to Stay Home Until It’s Gone

Whether or not you need to limit your contact with others until your pink eye is gone
depends on the type. People suffering from pink eye caused by allergies or a virus can
attend school or work normally after they confirm the cause with a doctor (though they
may not want to).
People with bacterial pink eye must stay home for at least a full 24 hours after they
begin taking antibiotics. Then they should be ready to resume their normal activities.

8. You Must Get Rid of Things That Touched Your Eyes

If you contract an infectious version of pink eye, you will need to get rid of some things.
These include:
• Contaminated contact lens cases or cleaning solution
• Disposable contact lenses worn since contracting conjunctivitis
• Eye makeup used immediately preceding or during the infection

http://www.drbishop.com/view/blog_396.3conx

Fart fallacy
Contrary to a popular urban myth, it is highly unlikely that farting on someone's pillow
will cause pink eye, especially if the person who farted had clothes on.

Even if the person who farted was naked, there is a very slim change that bacteria could
transfer to your pillow, according to the Science in Our World blog at Penn State
University. Also, you would have to immediately lay your head on the pillow, because
bacteria dies quickly when it doesn't have a host.

https://www.livescience.com/54869-pink-eye-symptoms-treatment.html

Conditions associated with conjunctivitis include other eye infections, dry eyes and blepharitis. Also,
bacterial conjunctivitis sometimes can lead to very serious eye problems such as a corneal ulcer,
potentially causing permanent vision loss.

http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/conjunctivitis.htm