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Pink Eye Could Mean You Have COVID, Flu Or Strep Throat
PADUCAH — Holiday gatherings over the past couple of weeks have led to a rise in cases of pink eye, according to local medical experts. However, pink eye can be an indicator of a much bigger problem.
Holiday gatherings over the past couple of weeks have led to a rise in cases of pink eye, according to local medical experts. However, pink eye can be an indicator of a much bigger problem.
P33tr / WikipediaConjunctivitis, more commonly known as pink eye, can sometimes mean someone has COVID-19.
In 2020, when patients were first being diagnosed with COVID-19, nurses at Baptist Health Paducah said they would look for pink eye because the viral disease can travel to one or both eyes.
"It spreads on surfaces and on skin contact so if I were to shake your hand, hug you and I had some drainage from my eye, I got it on my hand now I've passed it to you or to the surface you may touch," said Baptist Health Nurse Kathy Crawford.
Crawford said conjunctivitis could mean the person has COVID-19. "That was actually one of the first signs they had us looking for," said Crawford, talking about diagnosing people when COVID-19 first became a problem. "The redness to your eye or sinus congestion or a cough, it was one of the hallmark signs we're looking for there for a while."
"It spreads on surfaces and on skin contact so if I were to shake your hand, hug you and I had some drainage from my eye, I got it on my hand now I've passed it to you or to the surface you may touch," said Baptist Health Nurse Kathy Crawford.
Crawford said Baptist Health doesn't have exact data for the number of pink eye cases during this holiday season, but they've seen a rise in pink eye since the start of COVID-19.
Crawford said pink eye isn't just an indicator of COVID-19. If you have pink eye, you could possibly have the flu or strep throat, too. The illnesses can travel to places like the eye.
"Viral pink eye or conjunctivitis is more prevalent in viruses so if you have like a flu or COVID-19 or something like that, then it can spread to the eye causing inflammation and causing pink eye," said Crawford.
She said the holiday season provided more opportunities for people to gather and interact with each other, and that means more chances to get sick.
"The close proximity in houses, in cars, on airplanes, traveling to their destinations and back, I think that the more that they're together and the closer that they are, it spreads easier," said Crawford.
Make sure you wash your hands to combat sicknesses like pink eye.
The most common pink eye symptoms are redness in one or both eyes, itchiness, sensitivity to light and tearing.
Also, you may get discharge in one or both eyes that forms a crust during the night, which can prevent your eyes from opening in the morning.
If you have pink eye, nurses said pat your eye with a warm, wet, clean towel. Throw away your eye makeup if you use it. Also, change your bedsheets.
Man's Comically Honest Insight Into What It's Like To Be Blind Goes Viral
The ability to find humor in difficult situations is not only a great skill but also clinically proven to reduce stress and increase serotonin.
In the words of the Dalai Lama, "Choose to be optimistic; it feels better."—and that's exactly what author and illustrator Paul Castle chose to do when he was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare genetic eye disease.
"I was born with the condition," Castle told Newsweek, "but I didn't know until I was learning to drive at the age of 16 when I had a very near collision on a country road in Canada where I grew up, and my family took me to an ophthalmologist for some special tests.
"Soon after, I heard the words 'Retinitis Pigmentosa' for the first time in my life. It took several years for this information to be fully processed because, in the beginning, I was more concerned about my parents' sadness and wanted to remain positive for their sake."
It wasn't until college, where Castle attended his first group meeting for people in the blind community, that it really hit him.
Matthew and Paul Castle with their service dog, Mr. Maple. Paul has Retinitis Pigmentosa, a condition that has taken away 90 percent of his sight and may one day leave him completely blind. Matthew and Paul Castle"I broke down crying. It was a healing moment for me," he said. "Despite my vision loss, my passion has always been in the visual arts, and I've made a living as an artist since my college years. I majored in English Literature in San Jose, California. I have lost over 90 percent of my vision, but I still retain a pinhole of sight in the center. It's like looking through a straw.
Castle has been a professional artist for over a decade, selling his work to buyers throughout the world, but as his sight deteriorated, he had to stop. Around the same time as this devastating decision, Castle was given a tablet.
"I was shocked to realize I could actually draw on it. I used a screen cover that gave my tablet the texture of real paper. By turning the brightness all the way up and utilizing the zoom features, I re-discovered my love of illustration and quickly started selling them as framed prints, greeting cards, stickers, and eventually books."
As well as his illustrations, Castle has also written and illustrated a children's book called The Pengrooms, inspired by his wedding to his husband, Matthew, in 2019. He's currently working on the second edition.
"At this point in my vision loss journey, I feel motivated to be productive during these final years of sight. It also makes me focus on the present and what I can accomplish today. The rate of my vision loss is unpredictable, just as advances in science and medicine are also impossible to predict. Going blind has really taught me to feel gratitude for the vision I do have, not bitterness for the vision I've lost."
Castle and his husband Matthew, a classical violinist, post videos to their Instagram account @matthewandpaul, detailing what life is really like when you're blind with a mix of humor, and also raw honesty.
In one video captioned, "What it's REALLY like to be blind:" with over 777,000 views, Paul can be seen making light of some of the challenges of being blind including tripping over his service dog, a yellow Labrador called Mr. Maple, and a "blind hack" to use when out with friends.
"When it's time to cheers," he says, "be the first to get your glass out there in the middle," suggesting that everyone else will then have to come to you—which in this case doesn't happen, and Castle responds, "Works every time!"
Research has shown that finding something funny has the ability to cause a ripple effect of biological reactions in the brain and body.
"When we laugh, it's a physical expression of humor that triggers abdominal contractions, which stimulates circulation and the release of "feel good" chemicals as the body lets go of muscle tension," writes Heidi Hanna, Ph.D., for The American Institute of Stress.
Hanna points out that there is also a "significant amount of research showing that experiencing humor also boosts the production of immune cells, reduces pain and chronic fatigue, and may be able to improve mental and emotional health by shifting negativity bias—our natural, self-protective tendency to see the threats in our environment—towards the positive."
Castle would agree and has been using humor to deal with difficult situations for as long as he can remember.
"This was true for me even prior to my diagnosis with Retinitis Pigmentosa," he said, "I find comfort in lightness and levity. It's a welcome break from the weight of a bleak diagnosis. It's important, however, to have a balance of humor and reality. We try to show both sides in our videos on social media. While laughter is a big part of our lives, we routinely share the sadness and challenges, too. I believe we need to feel all the feelings to have a full and grounded experience."
Not only is humor an important coping mechanism, but it's also essential in maintaining relationships.
"My husband, Matthew, is a natural-born prankster and he does not hold back with me just because I'm blind," Castle said. "I remember very early in our relationship when Matthew pranked me by handing me a broom instead of my white cane as I exited the apartment. I made it 10 feet out the front door before I realized what I was holding and just burst out laughing.
"It was one of the first times I felt my disability actually added something light-hearted and positive to our relationship and was the beginning of a very healing experience for me," he told Newsweek.
Despite his ability to find humor, Castle points out that there is still a huge amount of stigma surrounding all disabilities.
"Without a doubt, there is a stigma attached to having a disability, just as there is a stigma attached to all minority groups in society," he said. "Having said that, my personal experience has been overwhelmingly positive.
"Helpful interactions with strangers, discovering accessibility features in public spaces, and finding support both online and in person are just a few examples of ways in which I feel very included and accepted. I think most people are quite surprised to learn just how capable people in the blind community truly are!"
Newsweek's "What Should I Do?" offers expert advice to readers. If you have a personal dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.Com. We can ask experts for advice on relationships, family, friends, money and work and your story could be featured on WSID at Newsweek.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Why Is Pink Eye So Contagious?
Any parent of young children dreads hearing the words "pink eye." This common childhood infection, also called conjunctivitis, can spread rapidly, and once the little ones bring it home, it can be passed easily to other members of the household.
But why is pink eye so contagious?
One factor is that conjunctivitis, or inflammation of the conjunctiva — a thin, clear mucous layer that covers the inner surface of the eyelid and the white part of the eyeball — is often caused by very infectious bacteria and viruses, Dr. Paramdeep Bilkhu, an optometrist and clinical adviser at the College of Optometrists in London, told Live Science by email.
Although allergies or irritants such as a loose eyelash can cause pink eye, most cases come from viruses and bacteria. Adenoviruses, a highly contagious family of pathogens that also cause cold- and flu-like symptoms, account for over 75% of cases of infective conjunctivitis, Bilkhu said.
Adenoviruses are also extremely hardy. For example, these viruses may survive disinfectants, such as 70% rubbing-alcohol (such as common hand sanitizers) and 3% hydrogen peroxide (such as Lysol and other household cleaners) solutions, according to a 2020 systematic review published in the Journal of Ophthalmic & Vision Research.
What's more, a person infected with an adenovirus can be contagious for up to two weeks from the time they are infected. Lastly, no treatments target adenoviruses, the review authors noted.
"While in some cases of bacterial infective conjunctivitis antibiotics are required to help bring about resolution, they will not work where the cause is viral," Bilkhu said. "There are no antiviral agents available to treat the viruses typically implicated in infective conjunctivitis."
Related: What are eyes made of?
The bacteria and viruses behind pink eye spread as a direct result of the symptoms they cause, such as red, watery eyes; sticky discharge; and a burning or itching sensation. People with pink eye have an intense urge to rub the affected eyes. From those infected surfaces, the microbes can go from someone's hands to surfaces and personal items, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Viruses that cause pink eye also may be transmitted through droplets expelled when someone coughs or sneezes. That is because they are able to spread along the mucous membranes that connect the respiratory tract, tear ducts and conjunctiva, according to the American Optometric Association. "Many cases of viral conjunctivitis occur following a prior or close contact with someone who has an upper respiratory tract infection, such as a cold or flu," Bilkhu said.
Because young children spend a lot of time in close contact with each other and do not tend to practice good hygiene, they are particularly susceptible to pink eye, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Most cases of infective conjunctivitis are mild and resolve within two weeks without any long-term complications. "During this period, the key is to ensure careful hygiene measures to prevent spread to the fellow eye and to others," Bilkhu said. "This includes washing hands before and after touching the eyes, appropriately disinfecting surfaces after touching them, and changing bedding and pillow cases each night."
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.
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