-public advised to seek physician’s diagnosis
Hundreds of persons have been afflicted with Conjunctivitis or ‘Red eye’ in recent weeks and Head of the Ophthalmology Department at the Georgetown Hospital, Dr George Norton advises the public to seek out a physician for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Norton said persons exhibiting symptoms should not rely on pharmaceutical advice as there are two strains of Red eye: one is bacterial and the other, caused by a virus. If antibiotics are used to treat the viral infection it will not work. Conjunctivitis affects babies, children, adults and the elderly and often lasts about one week.
Speaking to this newspaper on Thursday, Norton said he treats about 15 persons per day. He said he noticed an increase in the number of persons afflicted with the condition at the start of the rainy season, which was puzzling as conjunctivitis usually occurs during dry, windy conditions and was prevalent during August. Norton said he could give no reasonable explanation for this change.
The ophthalmologist said conjunctivitis begins with some irritation, as though a foreign body were in the eyes. This is followed by redness especially if persons rub their eyes, and is accompanied by excess tearing (runny eyes). The eye lids then become swollen and there can be a certain amount of secretions (pus), especially if there has been some infection, he added.
Norton said there is a dangerous strain of red eye called Hemorrhagic Conjunctivitis that may lead to serious complications in the central nervous system and could cause convulsions, fever and inflamed laryngeal nodes around the neck. He said persons should seek a physician for diagnosis as it is important to determine the strain of the infection. Norton said the more common form of conjunctivitis was also serious as it could create the conditions that lead to the severe strain. “The best thing for people to do is go to a physician and get their eyes checked and to get the best practices. That’s safer,” he said.
Norton said at the city hospital a combination of Tobramycin, an antibiotic and Dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory steroid has been found to be effective. He said these drugs relieve the irritation and clear up the eyes. Norton said so far he has diagnosed three cases of the severe strain and those persons are receiving additional treatment. He told this newspaper that the standard procedure is to give a person suffering from this condition seven days sick leave since it is something “that has to run its course.”
Prevention
Norton pointed out that there are several precautions one can take to prevent contracting Red eye. He said persons should stay clear of those suffering from the condition and that afflicted persons should isolate themselves. He said affected persons, and those not suffering from the condition, should wear sunglasses to slow the spread of the infection. Norton also advised that observing basic hygienic practices can stem the infection rate. He said too that so far the city has been most affected by the infection though there have been a few reported cases in Berbice and Linden.
