You wake up one morning and rub an irritating crust off of your eyelid. Throughout the day, that eye progressively gets itchier and it starts to turn pink. Oh, no! Is it an eye infection or just mild irritation?

Eye infections can happen unexpectedly and can impact multiple different parts of your eye. It can be really painful or really irritating to struggle with eye discomfort!

Our AFC Urgent Care Boulder team explains more about eye infections and what to do if you are concerned you have one below.

What Does an Eye Infection Feel Like?

Anyone can experience an eye infection if they come into contact with a bacteria, virus or even a fungus. You can easily introduce an infection into your eye if you touch your face often or rub your eyes frequently. However it happens, the infection can quickly grow and spread under your eyelid and into the tissue of your eye.

Once it starts to spread, you can expect to feel discomfort in the affected eye(s). Your eye might turn red, become really itchy or cause pain. Over time, it can also lead to blurry or distorted vision and can even spread to your other eye.

Other Eye Infection Symptoms

• Eye sensitivity
• Constant eye tearing
• Small bumps or lumps behind eyelid
• Tenderness around the affected area

What Are the Different Eye Infections?

One of the most common eye infections is “conjunctivitis,” or pink eye. This type of infection can be really contagious and can spread through your family relatively quickly. It is often caused by a virus or bacteria but can even be caused by something as simple as an allergic reaction or by getting something irritating stuck in your eye.

Another common infection is “keratitis.” This type of infection is caused by bacteria, virus or parasite in contaminated water. This type of eye infection is more common in people who wear contacts, as the contaminated water can get stuck behind the lens and can infect your eye. If you are ever struggling with eye discomfort and you suspect an eye infection, come see us for a quick evaluation and we can help you feel better faster.

Avoiding Eye Infections

• Wash your hands often.
• Try not to touch your face with unwashed hands.
• Don’t share personal items like mascara or eye drops.
• Keep your contact lenses and case clean.

If you are struggling with an eye infection, come see at AFC Urgent Care Boulder for a quick visit.