Key points for diagnosis
1. Clinical Manifestations
(1) The symptoms in mild cases include itching and uncomfortable feeling of the affected eye as if caused by a foreign body.  In severe cases, there is photophobia with a burning fever and heavy sensation of the eyelid. Sometimes, because of hypersecretion, the vision becomes blurring but can restore when the secretion is cleared.
(2) Congestion occurs in the palpebral conjunctiva and fornix in mild cases and; in severe cases, the congestion of the bulbar conjunctiva is obvious, even with chemosis, swelling of the lid and large amount of mucous and purulent secretion in the conjunctival sac. In some cases, there may be petechial and patchy hemorrhage.
(3) The disease is usually of bilateral type – simutaneous binocular onset or one eye after another. Usually, a mild start comes to its utmost in 3 to 4 days and relieves in 8 to 14 days. Cases due to Diplococcus pneumoniae arrive to the worst in 8 to 10 days and then turn back to recovery while cases owing to Koch-Week's bacillus, which are serious, need two to four weeks and then back to recovery.

2. Laboratory Examination
Koch-Week's bacillus, Diplococcus pneumoniae, staphylococci or bacillus influenzae can often be found in the secretion culture of the conjunctival sac. These bacteria multiples quickly during the onset of the first 3 to 4 days and can not easily be found at the later stage or after the administration of medicine.

In TCM, a disease or a symptom might be caused by one pathogenic factor, even two or three pathogenic factors. When diagnosing a disease or a symptom, TCM doctors must follow the principle of "Syndrome Dfferentiation", and then "Suit the Remedy to the Case". In order to gain a more definite and valuable diagnosis, it's important and necessary for the doctor to learn the detailed health information of the patient, including his/her disease duration, age, sex, height, weight, family history, urine, stool, diet, sleep, sweat, energy, mood (emotion), as well as the tongue conditions and the palm conditions, etc. If you would want our expert to create a TCM diagnosis, you're welcome to contact us.