As the weather warms up, an increasing number of students are spending time at McKinley Health Center's walk-in clinic, many suffering from pink eye during the spring, said Dr. David Lawrance, medical director at McKinley Health Center. There are many possible reasons for the higher number of eye health complaints and eye irritation around finals time, said Dr. Santiago Ulloa, a physician at McKinley. Students are especially susceptible to corneal laceration, or irritation of eye tissue, that can be caused by extended wear of contacts and improper eye care, Ulloa said. Another possible reason for increased eye irritation is the weather change and students' increased outdoor activity, Ulloa said.
Students are more active in sports as the weather is warmer.
Lawrance said irritation can also be caused by allergy season. Ulloa suggested several measures for students trying to stay healthy. He said students should eat healthy foods and get adequate sleep. A preventative measure against eye irritation is for contact lens wearers to avoid wearing lenses longer than intended and to use moisturizer eye drops. Ulloa said McKinley sees between 60 to 80 patients daily at the walk-in clinic during the regular semester.