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Pink Eye
Overview
Acute viral
conjunctivitis, or “pink eye,” is a common, highly
contagious—but not serious—infection for which home care is
usually sufficient. It’s spread when an infected person touches
their eyes or face and then touches another person or object
such as a computer mouse, doorknob, etc. If you touch this
surface, then touch your eyes, you can get pink eye. Antibiotics
aren’t effective against virally-caused pink eye unless a
secondary bacterial infection develops.
Signs and Symptoms
The following
symptoms can exist either by themselves or with a viral upper
respiratory infection:
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Redness of the white part of the eyeball.
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Swollen, inflamed eyelids.
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Sensitivity to light.
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Itching (However, this isn’t a predominant symptom as with
allergy-related eye inflammation.)
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Crusting or matting together of the eyelids—especially when
you wake up.
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Swollen lymph node(s) in front of your ear(s).
Self-Care Measures
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Wash your hands frequently to keep from spreading your
infection.
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Wear glasses, not contacts, until all symptoms go away. If
you wear disposable contacts, discard your current pair. For
all other contacts, cleanse thoroughly following
manufacturer’s instructions.
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Put a washcloth soaked in warm water on your eyes if matted
or if eye discharge is significant. Don’t re-use the cloth
or put it where someone else might use it.
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Don’t use eye makeup while you have symptoms, and discard
eye makeup used shortly before your symptoms began.
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Irrigate your eyes frequently with an OTC artificial tear
solution. It’s best to avoid eye drops that contain
decongestants.
Red Flags
Check in with the
nurse if there is..
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A
possibility that you have a foreign body in your eye.
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Eye pain or light sensitivity so significant that you can’t
open your eyes well enough to read or drive.
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Pain when you blink.
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Thick, opaque, green or yellow discharge.
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Eye inflammation that is mainly around the circumference of
the colored part (iris) versus the white part (conjunctiva)
of your eyeball.
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Call at the first signs of eye inflammation if you have a
history of either iritis or a serious viral eye infection
(especially if caused by a herpes virus).
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