Luanda - The city of Luanda has been facing, in recent days, an outbreak of contagious hemorrhagic Pink Eye (conjunctivitis), said this Thursday the director of the National Ophthalmological Institute of Angola (IONA), Luísa Paiva.

Luísa Paiva stressed, in statements to ANGOP, that health units have registered different types of pink eyes, with hemorrhagic being the most frequent, as IONA treats between 8 and 10 cases of this pathology daily.

She highlighted that hemorrhagic pink eye has been expanding at great speed, and in some cases it is particularly serious.

The official appealed to the population to reinforce prevention measures, which include washing hands frequently, avoiding touching or scratching your eyes and not going to crowded places.

Pink Eye Causes and symptoms

Hemorrhagic Pink Eye is a “highly” contagious disease characterized by subconjunctival hemorrhage, sudden swelling of the eyelids and congestion, redness and pain in the eye.

The OINA's director explained that the causes of pink eye are differents, the most common being infection caused by some types of pathogens.

These agents are mainly bacteria, but they can also be viruses and fungi.

She also highlighted that conjunctivitis can also be caused by different chemical and physical agents, such as foreign bodies, intense heat, irritating gases, ultraviolet rays, caustic products, smoke, among others.

The most common initial symptoms are tearing, photophobia, sensitivity to light and redness.

When experiencing symptoms, she advised the population to seek out an ophthalmologist for better guidance.

There are several types of Pink Eye, namely bacterial, viral and allergic.

She warned of the risk of blindness, due to lack of medical care or use of inappropriate medicines.

EVC/ART/CF/jmc