What you need to know about Pink Eye

Common Diseases

What you need to know about Pink Eye

By: Hannah Henderson, NP

As we enter the season of colds, fall allergens, and school germs, how do you know if your child needs to be seen by a doctor for pink eye?

Let’s start by defining pink eye or conjunctivitis. Pink eye/conjunctivitis means that your eye is irritated or inflamed. If you have pink eye, you may experience the following:

- change in color – pink or red
- itchiness
- discharge
- eyelids may get stuck together, especially first thing in the morning

There are several different causes of pink eye. Some types need to be treated, and others do not. So, how do you know which one your child is experiencing?

Bacterial Pink Eye:

This is the most common type of infection you think of when you hear the term pink eye. It usually involves redness and produces a very thick discharge from one or both eyes, which continues throughout the day. Because this is a bacterial infection, it can be treated with antibiotic eye drops. It is contagious, so it is very important to wash your hands well, especially if you have touched or rubbed your eyes.

Viral Pink Eye:

A viral infection typically causes viral conjunctivitis. It usually has other cold symptoms, such as cough, congestion, runny nose, or fever. While it is contagious, an antibiotic will not help because it is viral. Typically, this infection starts with crusting of the eyes in the morning, but the discharge is more watery throughout the day with smaller amounts of mucus. It typically worsens for the first 3-5 days and then improves over the next 1-2 weeks.

Allergic Pink Eye:

Allergies cause this allergic response, so it is not infectious or contagious. Typically, it affects both eyes and presents as redness, watery discharge, and itching. Itching is the classic symptom that identifies it as allergic. Antibiotic eye drops will not help, but allergy eye drops may help.

Irritant Pink Eye:

This is caused by irritation from dirt, sand, smoke, dust, or trauma and is usually associated with tearing. It is more painful than itchy. Since it is an allergic response, an antibiotic will not help. If you know the allergy triggering the response, avoiding it as much as possible is helpful. Antihistamine eye drops, such as Pataday or Patanol, are available over the counter. If these are not helpful, it may be time for an appointment for further evaluation.

Things that you can do at home to treat and prevent:

Practice good hand washing
Avoid touching your eyes
Use warm compresses This can help soften discharge and help remove crusting in the eyelashes
Avoid sharing towels, bed linens, or other personal items with people who have pink eye