An eye infection means having some pain, swelling, or redness in the eye. These infections basically fall into three categories, namely viral, bacterial and fungal with each of them being treated accordingly. The good thing about an eye infection is that it can be spotted early and quickly. An infection in the eye can show in several ways, it all depends on which part of the eye has got the problem. Here in this article, you will learn about the causes and symptoms of an eye infection.

Which part of the eye is infected?
First of all, you need to understand which part has the problem so that you can get further assistance. The eye infection might be in the eyelid, cornea(clear surface outside of your eye), or conjunctiva(a thin, moist area that covers the inside of the eyelids and an outer layer of the eye).

Symptoms:

• Understand how your eye feels:  You might notice some of the below-mentioned problems in case of an eye infection. Any sort of pain or discomfort of the eye should be immediately brought to the doctor’s notice. You may have itchy eyes or a feeling that something’s on or in your eye, or experience light sensitivity (hurting of eyes when the light is too bright). Burning in the eyes or a small, painful lump under your eyelid or at the base of your eyelashes could turn up to be a major problem. You should also look for eye infection symptoms such as when the eyelid is tender when touched, or heavy irritation in eyes.
• Understand how your eye looks: There could be a possibility that there is a discharge from one or both the eyes that is yellow, green or even clear. The presence of pink color in the whites of your eyes or swollen, red and purple eyelids are some of the signs which tell about infection in the eyes. There could also be bits of crust in the lashes and lids, especially in the morning.
• Understand how well you see: If you have a blurry vision, then it’s time to visit your doctor and get treated immediately.

Causes:
There could be many major and minor causes of an eye infection. A few of them are listed below so you can know what to avoid:

• If a person wears contact lenses
• If your immune system is weak from other illness
• If you are someone who lives somewhere in an area that’s humid and warm
• If you have scalp or eyebrow dandruff
• If you are allergic to your eye or face makeup
• If your oil glands do not work properly
• If you have lice or mites on your eyelashes
• If you take a certain medication that affects your immune system

These are some risk factors which you should avoid as much as you can. You must make sure to clean your eyes and eyelids with clear water before sleeping and take proper care of them. A timely visit to the doctor can also help treat any eye infection easily, with ointments, eye drops or in some severe cases, surgery.