Treating Eye Infections Boise ID | Clear Eye Total Eye Care

OPTOMETRY Care in Boise For Eye Infection Treatment

Eye infections are some of the most common reasons for visiting an eye doctor outside of a routine eye exam. Some eye infections are mild and easily treated. Others are more severe and, if left untreated, can permanently affect your vision. In either case, it is smart to contact an optometrist like Dr. Bingham at Clear Eye Total Eye Care in Boise, Idaho, to get the best eye care to treat your eye infections.
Our same-day or walk-in eye appointments are especially useful for quick eye infection treatment. You can always reach Clear Eye Total Eye Care at (208) 629-8326.
If you are concerned about the cost of an eye doctor appointment without insurance, don’t worry. We work with most common vision insurance companies and also offer free, in-house vision plans to provide affordable eye care to our patients who have no vision insurance.

Types, Symptoms, and Treatment of Common Eye Infections

The eye care specialists at Clear Eye Total Eye Care frequently diagnose and treat the following eye conditions:

Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)

The most common type of eye infection, and unfortunately very contagious. It affects the conjunctiva, which is the thin, sensitive layer that covers the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelid. It causes itchy, watery eyes, excessive eye discharge, and typical redness in and around the eye. There are several types, including:

Viral Conjunctivitis is caused by viruses as common as typical cold or flu. Most viral conjunctivitis cases will resolve on their own within a week or two, but there are some viral infections that will cause damage to your eyes if untreated, and will require prescription eye drops to resolve.
Bacterial Conjunctivitis is caused by bacteria that can come from many sources, including poorly maintained contact lenses. Antibiotic eye drops are necessary for bacterial conjunctivitis treatment.
Allergic Conjunctivitis is usually caused by seasonal allergies. Your watery, itchy eyes can be treated with eye drops to reduce the irritation until the allergies are resolved.
Environmental Irritant can cause conjunctivitis. These include smoke, pool chlorine, or harsh soaps. Symptoms are mostly treated until the exposure to the irritant goes away and the eye recovers.

Keratitis

Keratitis is inflammation of the eye’s cornea. The cornea is the front surface of the eye and is very important to your overall vision. Any problems with the cornea deserve proper eye care from an optometrist. Keratitis, if left untreated, can lead to corneal scarring and permanent vision loss that cannot be corrected, even with glasses.

Viral Keratitis will ideally resolve itself when the body fights off the virus, but usually requires prescription eye drops.
Bacterial Keratitis, requires a course of antibiotics to prevent damage to the cornea.
Contact Lenses, especially soft contact lenses, are breeding grounds for infection if they are not properly cleaned and maintained.
Parasitic Keratitis is a rare instance when parasites found in water infect the eye. A good optometrist like Dr. Bingham is a great resource in this case.

Styes, or a painful lump under the eyelids or at the base of eyelashes. Styes are not contagious, are common eye disorders, and can cause some mild eye pain. They are usually caused by either a blocked oil gland or a bacteria causing an infected eyelash follicle.

Uveitis, or inflammation of the uvea. The uvea is the middle layer of the eye, primarily consisting of the colored part of the eye (the iris). There are many factors that can contribute to the development of uveitis. Most auto-immune diseases (like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or multiple sclerosis (MS) are the culprit; but trauma, viral infections, and stress can also cause uveitis to develop.
Uveitis requires treatment with eye drops for symptom control and are necessary for a period of time, even after the condition resolves. A good eye doctor can support a rheumatologist or other auto-immune specialist regarding eye problems to provide eye pain relief.

Your eyes are such vital organs. They give you the ability to do so many things, that making routine eye care and maintaining healthy eyes are an essential part of life.

You can schedule your eye exam online, and unlike many other optometrist’s offices, we offer same-day and walk-in eye appointments, and encourage you to call (208) 629-8326 or come visit us today. We’ll see you at Clear Eye Total Eye Care soon!

Make an Appointment