Along with the season's usual aches, pains, sniffles and coughs, early February has brought a slightly more exotic affliction to Hanover -- a surge in cases of viral conjunctivitis, more commonly known as "pink eye."
Over Winter Carnival, College Health Services at Dick's House saw between 15-20 incidents of pink eye, and the preceding weekend brought about 10 cases. Director of Health Services Jack Turco guessed that a few cases came in each day of last week, and an additional set of afflicted students with minor cases likely didn't seek treatment.
"For whatever reason, the virus of the month seems to have a particular predilection for conjunctivitis," Turco said.
The majority of cases appearing around campus this month have been viral in cause. Unlike its bacterial cousin, viral pink eye typically accompanies symptoms of a common cold and consequently can spread through sneezing before inflammation appears in the eyes..
Since symptoms of viral pink eye typically subside after a few days, such cases do not require treatment. Turco noted that while he generally does not prescribe eye drops for a viral infection unless symptoms persist longer than expected, habits among physicians differ.
Some doctors offer eye drops on a patient's first visit on the off chance that the infection may be bacterial, but such prescriptions do carry the risk that an allergic reaction may cause the inflammation to worsen.
"There's no absolute way of approaching it," Turco said of treatment methods.
The most distressing moment for a pink eye sufferer usually comes when he or she wakes up in the morning with his or her eyelids matted down. Turco explained that this problem is caused by the accumulation of tears during the night and can be alleviated simply by holding a warm cloth over the afflicted area.
Although persons who have contracted a similar infection in the recent past may have built up an immunity, no group of students is especially susceptible to the outbreak.
"These viruses are equal-opportunity invaders," Turco said.
Similarly, beyond common-sense measures such as eating well and washing one's hands, no proven method of prevention exists.
"Everything that your mother told you to do," Turco said, "helps a little."
Contact lens wearers who catch the virus will have an additional concern: lenses typically aggravate a pink eye infection. Turco urged afflicted contact users to leave them out for a few days.
Student can rest easy on one count: bacterial forms of conjunctivitis tend to be more unpleasant; Turco said that these infections often involve "gobs and gobs of ... discharge."
Turco also noted the importance of not mistaking pink eye for other problems. If only one eye is afflicted -- pink eye usually, though not always, spreads to both -- and symptoms persist for many days, a separate issue (such as a piece of metal in the eye) may be causing the discomfort.
