Questions Your Doctor May Ask - and Why!
During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in his assesment of the symptom: Eye discharge.
These may include a physical examination or other medical tests.
Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing
your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information
you can share with your doctor may help them with their diagnosis.
Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:
- How long have you had the eye discharge?
Why: to determine if acute or chronic.
- Is the eye discharge unilateral or bilateral?
- What is the nature of the discharge?
Why: e.g. purulent (pus-like) discharge usually indicates a bacterial infection; a clear watery or mucous discharge may suggest viral or allergic conjunctivitis.
- Have you had a cold or running nose recently?
Why: may indicate viral conjunctivitis.
- Is there a history of eye trauma?
- Is there a history of exposure of a red discharging eye at school, work or home?
Why: may indicate bacterial conjunctivitis.
- Do you suffer from hay fever?
Why: may suggest allergic conjunctivitis.
- Is the person with eye discharge an infant?
Why: may indicate conjunctivitis or a blocked nasolacrimal duct. Conjunctivitis in infants is a serious disorder due to the immaturity of the tissues and the defence mechanisms and serious damage to the eye and blindness may result.
- Occupational history?
Why: e.g. exposure to welding, foreign bodies, chemicals.
Questions your doctor may ask about related symptoms:
Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse
your condition. These may include:
- Red eye?
Why: a red discharging eye may suggest bacterial, viral or allergic conjunctivitis, herpes simplex infection, corneal ulceration, acute iritis or acute glaucoma.
- Eye pain?
Why: a painful discharging eye may suggest herpes simplex infection, corneal ulcer, acute iritis or acute glaucoma. Bacterial, viral or allergic conjunctivitis causes a gritty eye irritation.
- Photophobia (dislike of light)?
Why: may indicate uveitis or keratitis.
- Blurry vision?
Why: may suggest herpes simplex infection, corneal ulcer, acute iritis or acute glaucoma (haloes around lights).
- Itchy eye?
Why: may suggest allergic conjunctivitis.
- Eyelid symptoms?
Why: may suggest ectropion (turning out of the eyelid) or blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid margin which can be associated with conjunctivitis or corneal ulcers).
- Headache?
Why: may suggest cluster headache.
- Symptoms of bacterial conjunctivitis?
Why: e.g. pus-like discharge, sticking together of the eyelids in the morning, usually starts in one eye and spreads to the other eye, red eye.
- Symptoms of viral conjunctivitis?
Why: e.g. usually associated with upper respiratory tract infection, starts in one eye but crosses to the other eye within days, scant watery discharge, diffuse eye redness, enlarged neck lymph nodes.
» Next page: Types of Eye discharge
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