Sore eyes or Conjunctivitis is defined by the Department of Health (DOH) as a redness and inflammation of the membranes (conjunctiva) covering the whites of the eyes and the inner parts of the eyelids. It has many causes, but in most cases it results from viral infection, but can also be from bacteria or allergen. There have been epidemics in the Philippines, the most recent big one being in September 2015.
Conjunctivitis also has other symptoms, which may vary, depending on the cause. These symptoms can be used to diagnose the type of conjunctivitis. Common symptoms are eye redness, stinging and foreign body sensation, itching, and sticky eye discharge. Vision may become blurred from excessive tearing, discharges and from photophobia (or extreme glare), caused by the inflammation. It is self-limiting, lasting 7-10 days, but with some amount of variability depending on the viral strain. Conjunctivitis can be diagnosed by history and examination alone. Laboratory tests are usually not needed.
Treatment is aimed at reducing discomfort as there is no definitive medication against the viral infection. Cool compresses, ocular vasoconstrictors and antihistamine are helpful. As we all know by now, the infection is highly contagious, often resulting in epidemics, as it spreads easily by hand-to-eye primarily and to a lesser degree, droplet contamination.
Source: rmc.doh.gov.ph