Is Red Eye Contagious ?

Red eye is a highly contagious infection that is brought on by an adenovirus. In many cultures, especially in Asia, it is believed that a person can contract red eye just by looking at an infected person.

That is why in these cultures, you will find people suffering from red eye wearing dark glasses.Red eye, also known as conjunctivitis or pink eye, is caused due to the inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is membrane covering the eyeball and the inside part of the eyelid. Usually the infection can be caused by a bacteria, virus or allergy. If the source of the infection is bacterial, then the infection will affect both eyes. It will start in one eye, and then spread to the other eye. If the source of the infection is a virus, you can get the infection in one or both eyes. If the source is an allergy, then both eyes will be affected simultaneously, and you will also have signs of hay fever along with red and itchy eyes, pain, discharge and tear production.

As mentioned earlier that red eye is contagious. It can spread when the person suffering from the infection touches the tears and discharge that come out of the eye, and touches other surfaces. So, it can spread via contact, either direct or indirect. Red eye caused due to an allergy is non-contagious. A person suffering from bacterial or viral red eye should wash his or her hands thoroughly every few hours with a disinfectant and refrain from touching their eyes. The person is contagious until the redness lasts. The infection usually lasts for 2 to 3 weeks.

Red eye is also known as conjunctivitis or pink eye. It occurs when the conjunctiva, which is thin membrane covering the eyeball and the inside of the eyelid, gets inflamed due to bacterial or viral infection or due to an allergy. The bacterial and viral red eye are highly contagious. Sometimes, red eye can also be caused due to an irritant like getting a foreign particle in the eye or getting shampoo in the eye. However, this type of red eye or conjunctivitis is not contagious. More..