RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - Pink eye is something most of us know enough about to understand that we don’t want it! However, simply not wanting to catch it doesn’t always prevent it. Now that school is back in session and children are close to one another throughout the day, germs can spread more easily… That was Dr. Craig McCabe, a Murfreesboro eye doctor, who told us that pink eye is very contagious (Complete interview in podcast above this article).

When it comes to pink eye, there are several symptoms to be on the lookout for… Pink eye is when the clear layer of skin that covers the inside of your eyelid and the white part of your eye gets swollen and irritated. This layer is called the conjunctiva. When this happens, the tiny blood vessels in the conjunctiva become more noticeable, making the whites of your eyes look red or pink.  Because the blood vessels in the conjunctiva become irritated and cause the eye to look pink, the name of the condition known as pink eye is Conjunctivitis.

Dr. McCabe talks about how easily pink eye spreads at school and eventually - - in the workplace… As for how it’s spread…

Avoiding pink eye is not as tough as one might think. McCabe suggested the best way to dodge the problem is to wash your hands or use anti-bacterial hand gel on a regular basis... Visit McCabeVisionCenter.com to learn more or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Craig McCabe.

• Hear the entire WGNS interview with Dr. McCabe above this article. Dr. McCabe is on the air the second Monday of each month from 8:15 to 9 AM. His office in Murfreesboro is located at 122 Heritage Park Dr. and his phone number is 615-904-9024.