ASK AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST

The last two mornings I have had severe red and burning eyes after I put in my contacts. I take them out and then my eyes continue to burn and tear. I have worn contacts for a long time. Is this an allergic reaction to saline solution or do I have an eye infection?

Redness and burning of the eyes after inserting contact lenses can be due to physical irritation from lenses that do not fit properly or are damaged, allergy to chemicals in the cleaning and storing solutions, sensitivity to broken down tear protein deposits in the lens, swelling of the cornea (the clear window on the front of the eye), or an infection of the eye. Do not force the use of the contact lenses. Wear your backup glasses, leave the contact lenses out, and see an ophthalmologist promptly!

After getting diagnosed with conjunctivitis, how long do I have to wait to wear new makeup so it won't spread to my eyes again?

It depends on the cause of the conjunctivitis. Three main forms of conjunctivitis are present and include bacterial, viral, and allergic conjunctivitis. We are presuming you had the infectious form of conjunctivitis. If it was diagnosed as a bacterial conjunctivitis and you were placed on a topical antibiotic, we would suggest waiting two weeks to return to makeup and would throw away all old makeup. Viral conjunctivitis is very contagious and while a number of viruses cause this type, the most common and worrisome form is referred to as epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC). It is also commonly referred to as "pink eye" and is caused by adenovirus. This infection is extremely contagious and typically affects both eyes. Drops do not help this form and the eye has significant purulent drainage and severe swelling and redness. It typically takes this form of conjunctivitis two to four weeks to resolve and after the initial two weeks, you are no longer infectious, but the eye may continue to be red and uncomfortable out to one month. This form can also cause inflammation on the covering of the eye, known as the cornea. We would wait at least two weeks for makeup application but would wait longer if the eye remained red and uncomfortable or if the virus caused inflammation in the cornea. Your eye doctor can tell you what type you had and whether the infection involved your cornea.

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