Chronic conjunctivitis is a long-term eye infection caused by bacteria or inflamed sebaceous glands. Symptoms include redness, irritation, itching, and thick secretions. Treatments include antibiotics and artificial tears. Trachoma, a preventable cause of blindness, is another cause of chronic conjunctivitis.
Chronic conjunctivitis is a type of eye infection in the thin layer of tissue that covers the eye called the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva helps keep the eye lubricated but can become infected. A short-term infection that lasts less than a month is usually referred to as acute conjunctivitis. A long-term infection, however, can last longer and is usually referred to as chronic conjunctivitis. Often, chronic conjunctivitis is caused by bacteria invading the eye, but it can also develop due to inflamed sebaceous glands in the eyelid and other pathogens.
Symptoms of chronic conjunctival infection depend on the cause of the condition, but often include redness of the white part of the eye, irritation, and itching. Sometimes the eye may water frequently or become excessively dry. A patient with this condition may also notice thick secretions seeping from her eyes. The secretions are often greenish or yellowish, although they can also appear whitish in color. Waking up with crusted eyelashes and eyelashes falling out are also common symptoms of pinkeye.
A long-term type of conjunctivitis develops due to bacteria. There are various types of bacteria that cause this condition, but Staphylococcus bacteria are among the most common. This type of chronic conjunctivitis infection is often characterized by eye redness, irritation, and burning. Some people with this condition may notice that their eyelashes are crusted in the morning and some suffer from eyelash loss. Sometimes a person with conjunctivitis caused by staph also notices that their eyelashes begin to grow in an abnormal direction.
Meibomitis is another cause of chronic conjunctivitis. This condition occurs when the glands in a person’s eyelids become inflamed. It leads to malfunction of the sebaceous glands and inflammation of both the part of the eyelid behind the eyelashes and the conjunctiva.
One type of chronic conjunctivitis is caused by an infection called trachoma. It is not common in the United States or other parts of North America, but occurs frequently in Africa, Asia and Middle Eastern countries. A trachoma infection develops as a result of being infected with a bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis and is a preventable cause of blindness.
There are a number of treatments that can be used for chronic conjunctivitis. Among these are antibiotics that are placed in the eye and artificial tears. Oral antibiotics and non-antibiotic topical medications are also sometimes used to treat this condition.
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