Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is often perceived as a childhood disease. This could not be further from the truth. Case in point: Bob Costas, NBC’s host for the Winter Olympics, came down with the condition while in Sochi. The New York Times reports:
“The infection in Bob Costas’s left eye appeared Thursday and spread to his right eye Sunday. When he woke up Tuesday in Sochi, Russia, with his eyes swollen and crusted shut, he told NBC that he could not host that night’s prime-time Olympics broadcast.
“Both eyes were red and angry on Sunday and Monday,” Costas said by telephone Tuesday morning.”
Pink eye typically occurs due to either a bacterial infection or a viral infection. The infection causes the conjunctiva (the membrane that protects the surface of the eye) to become inflamed, resulting in the condition’s trademark pink/red eyes. Pink eye can also be caused by allergens, although this cause is not contagious.
When dealing with pink eye, it is important to visit a trusted South Hill, Spokane walk-in clinic. Pink eye treatment depends on the cause of the infection. This means that the treatment for bacterial infections will not work on viral infections, and vice versa. As such, it is important to determine the cause as soon as possible.
According to health experts, pink eye is not usually considered a serious medical condition. In fact, it clears up on its own in roughly a week or two. However, those who experience facial pain, vision loss, yellow/green eye discharge, and increased sensitivity to light should immediately proceed to a reputable South Hill, Spokane urgent care center to have their condition reassessed.
(Source: Eye Infection Forces Costas to Step Aside From Olympics Coverage; The New York Times; February 11, 2014)
U.S. HealthWorks Spokane (South Hill) 