8 Medical Issues Often Misdiagnosed as Pink Eye – Myths

Are your eyes irritating you now and then? Are your eye whites pinkish or red, and are you looking for eye drops to eliminate the inflammation? This blog will enlighten people about what is commonly misdiagnosed as pink eye and how to understand the difference between various signs and symptoms. 

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However, several conditions cause pink eyes, and most are misdiagnosed. So, let’s look at them and see how you can avoid them.

8 Mistaken Conditions Misdiagnosis As Pink Eye

Do you know what can be mistaken for an eye infection or what causes pink eye in adults? Well, not all eye medical conditions are related. Some eye conditions share symptoms with pink eye, creating a huge confusion. Here we discuss some conditions that are confusing with the pink eye but are not absolute:

1: Hordeolum (stye)

In medical terms, an eye style standard, such as hordeolum, is a small bump on the edge of the eyelid that is painful and red and causes symptoms similar to those of pink eye. 

It causes eye discomfort and is easily misdiagnosed as a pink eye condition. Unlike the pink eye, a style sometimes causes eye redness and swelling in this condition. 

2: Dry eye syndrome

Dry eye syndrome occurs when there is insufficient or poor quality tear production. When eyes don’t produce enough tears, they cause dryness, leading to inflammation, irritation, and redness. 

In such a condition, the eye becomes red temporarily, which confuses the syndrome with a pink eye condition. Moreover, it is essential to be aware of these similarities to seek professional help rather than trying home remedies. 

Dry eye syndrome is easily treatable with proper diagnoses and artificial tears prescription. Further, an eye specialist can help you with expert advice. 

3: Allergies

When substances such as pollen, dust, or mold residues from the environment enter the eye, they cause irritation and eye allergy, known as conjunctivitis, Which happens when they trigger histamine in the human body. 

Histamine causes inflammation, leading to symptoms similar to pink eyes, such as eye redness, itching, burning, and irritation. Moreover, eye allergies cause swollen eyelids, watery discharge, and runny nose. 

All these symptoms make the patient confuse an eye allergy with a pink eye condition. 

4: Scleritis

The inflammation of the sclera, the white part of your eye. It mainly occurs in one eye only and shares symptoms similar to those of pink eye. 

Furthermore, scleritis shows eye redness, irritation, and inflammation except for the thick eye discharge that makes it significant from pink eye. One primary symptom of this condition is that the pain from the eye can extend toward the jaw and the rest of your face and head. 

5: Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a degenerative eye disease caused by potential damage to the optic nerves in the eye. This disease’s symptoms appear after some time and resemble the pink eye signs, making it misdiagnosed. 

Further, in advanced cases, it also troubles with vision problems. Unlike pink eye, it doesn’t cause redness or eye discharge, which helps the specialist look further than pink eye condition during diagnosis. 

6: Blepharitis

Blepharitis vs. pink eye is an eye condition with inflammation on the edges of the eyelids. The common symptoms of blepharitis include redness, itchiness, irritated eyelids, and dryness, which makes it misdiagnosed with pink eye. 

7: Iritis

An eye condition in which the colored part of the eyes becomes inflamed. It directly affects the uvea, a middle layer of the eye. The condition also shares standard sides with pink eyes, such as redness, light sensitivity, and blurry vision. 

The condition is easily treatable with the help of the right antibiotics and antivirals if caused by an infection. 

8:  Keratitis

Another medical condition of the eyes that resembles pink eye is keratitis, which occurs due to the inflammation of the cornea. Just like conjunctivitis, it also causes eye irritation and eye redness. 

It is potentially more dangerous than all other conditions, leading to decreased vision or blurriness. Further, it shares all the typical symptoms with pink eye except keratitis, which is a more painful experience. 

When to Contact Doctor:

All these eye conditions can be easily mistaken for eye infections and pink eye. When should you call the doctor if you face any eye issues? So, here are some signs that you must notice and rush to an eye specialist as soon as possible:

  • You face blurry vision.
  • Severe pain in the eye when exposed to light.
  • High fever, body chills, and vision loss. 
  • Yellow or green discharge from the eye.
  • Continuous runny nose and eyes with discomfort. 

Your doctor can tell your suffering by checking all the signs and examining your eyes. Taking the prescribed medication and incorporating eye supplements into your routine can help you recover from these conditions quickly. 

FAQs

How do you tell if it’s pink eye or something else?

Red-eye symptoms are familiar with other medical conditions such as keratitis, iritis, and allergic conjunctivitis. Only an eye expert can diagnose and disclose depending upon your eye examination. 

What virus mimics pink eyes?

Adenovirus shows symptoms that mimic the pink eye condition, causing conjunctivitis, runny nose, and eye irritation. Moreover, COVID-19 also had some cases revealing eye inflammation and infections with similar signs.  

What illnesses start with pink eye?

Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis show early symptoms of pink eye that prolong and lead to these chronic infections. Both conditions can occur along with symptoms of respiratory illness.

How can you tell the difference between viral and bacterial pink eye?

An eye viral infection commonly causes watery eyes with discharge during the daytime. Unlike a viral infection, bacterial conjunctivitis causes a green or yellowish sticky discharge from the eyes.

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