An urgent care clinic is a great place to go if you require medical attention for pink eye! Not only do urgent care clinics accept walk-in appointments, but they also are known to have shorter wait times than emergency rooms. Since primary care clinics require appointments to be made in advance, they cannot always guarantee a same-day appointment. Moreover, since emergency rooms are the only medical facility properly equipped to treat life-threatening medical emergencies, patients with less critical conditions are often subjected to long wait times in the waiting room.

With that in mind, when your eye is bothering you because of a pink eye infection and causing you to require same-day medical attention, an urgent care clinic is an ideal alternative to either a primary care clinic or an emergency room. At Northwest Ohio Urgent Care, our physicians and medical professionals would be happy to provide pink eye treatment to you at a clinic near you in Benore Toledo, OH or Reynolds Toledo, OH.

Bacterial and viral cases of pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, often occur with similar symptoms. Therefore, it is not always evident at first glance if the infection is viral or bacterial, which sometimes necessitates further testing.

That said, some common ways to differentiate between bacterial and viral conjunctivitis include noticing the thickness of the discharge and what auxiliary symptoms also occur. With that in mind, viral conjunctivitis often occurs with a cold, flu, or respiratory infection and has a clear or watery discharge without mucus. In contrast, bacterial conjunctivitis usually has a thick, mucopurulent discharge, that is, discharge that contains mucus, and sometimes coincides with an ear infection.

Finding out if your case of pink eye is viral or bacterial is important because it will ultimately determine the treatment method your doctor prescribes. As such, bacterial conjunctivitis is typically treated with antibiotics, while treatment for viral conjunctivitis focuses on managing symptoms until the virus runs its course, much like the common cold.

The length of time it takes for a pink eye infection to go away varies from person to person and according to whether it is bacterial or viral. As such, viral conjunctivitis typically clears up within one to two weeks, although it can last upwards of three weeks in some cases. In contrast, mild cases of bacterial conjunctivitis often improve within two to five days without treatment, while stronger cases require two weeks of treatment for the infection to go away completely. Whether your case of pink is eye mild or more severe, it is always a good idea to seek medical attention to let you know if the infection requires treatment or will clear up on its own, as more severe cases of bacterial conjunctivitis can lead to significant complications regarding your vision and further infection if left untreated.

Pink eye can be caused by certain bacteria, viruses, or allergens. When pink eye is caused by bacteria, usually from staphylococcus or streptococcus types, it is often due to poor hygiene practices or contact with insects or other people. Viral conjunctivitis is often caused by adenoviruses and is usually due to hand-to-eye contact from hands or objects contaminated with the viral contagion. When allergens are the cause, pink eye occurs as an allergic reaction to certain substances, like mold spores or pollen.