Looking Out for Pink Eye

“Pink eye” Is a general term used for when your eye gets red, called conjunctivitis. Inflammation occurs in the blood vessels in the conjunctiva part of your eye. Often this is from infection or some irritant in the environment. Infectious pink eye is contagious and can spread by direct contact or an infected person rubbing their eyes and touching someone else. People will often complain of itching or burning sensation in their eye. They also might have drainage, or their eyes get stuck shut first thing in the morning.

Most cases of pink eye will go away on their own. If a bacterial infection is present, a provider will prescribe eyedrops with antibiotics in them to help treat the infection. Viral infections can be treated with other eye drops to help with itchiness and irritation, but these infections take a few days to improve.

Should you have a newborn child who comes down with pink eye, you will want to take them into a medical professional as soon as you can as it can lead to complications that may impact the vision of the child.

If you wear contact lenses and get pink eye, it is important that you remove your contacts until the infection clears. It is important to also be seen by your doctor, as other medical conditions can be present that appear similar to pink eye. Throw away your contacts if they are disposable, and thoroughly clean non-disposable contacts.

To prevent the spread of pink eye to others, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly and do not share personal items or pillows with anyone.

And remember, we are here for you if you believe you or a loved one might have contracted pink eye.