Your kid has woken up with crusty eyelashes and an itchy redness taking over the whites of their eyes.
Ugh. The dreaded pink eye.
The illness known as pink eye can spread fast, especially among little kids who explore the world with their hands and can’t resist touching their face.
Pink eye describes a few conditions that cause pinkness or redness in the eyes. Its technical name is conjunctivitis — an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the inner lining of the eyelid — that can start with a virus, bacteria, allergies or irritants, said Ndu David Ugobi, M.D., a pediatrician at Sanford Health in Minot, North Dakota.
One case of pink eye does not have to make the rounds to everyone, though.
“When a child has pink eye in a family, it’s easy to assume that everybody would get it, but they don’t have to,” Dr. Ugobi said. “If everyone maintains a decent distance from the one who has it and maintains good hand washing, hygiene and things like that, then they will likely skate through.”
What are the signs of pink eye?
Depending on what’s causing the condition, pink eye can show up in different ways:
- Red or pink eyes
- Watery eyes
- Thick, yellow discharge from the eyes
- Pressure in the eye
- Eye pain or irritation, as if something is stuck there
What causes pink eye?
Pink eye has a few culprits: viruses, bacteria, allergies and irritants. Viral pink eye is the most dreaded.
Viruses
If your child has a fever with pink eye, it’s more likely to be viral, according to Dr. Ugobi.
“That’s the one that can cause large outbreaks in day care centers, in schools and sometimes in families. And it tends to keep going round and round until somebody breaks the loop,” said Dr. Ugobi.
And if you have other signs of a cold or flu-like virus, such as a runny or stuffy nose and a cough, you can be contagious for up to two weeks or as long as you have symptoms.
Bacteria
With bacterial pink eye, you’re contagious for usually three to five days, sometimes up to seven days, Dr. Ugobi said.
“The bacterial category tends to be more with an individual and whoever else makes very close contact with that individual,” he said. “So spread is sort of limited much more so than viral. And they also don’t last as long as the viral conjunctivitis.”
You can shorten this time even more by getting pink eye treated. After 24 hours on the appropriate antibiotics, and with no other symptoms of illness, your child should be able to go back to school or day care.
Allergies, irritants, multiple causes
If allergies are causing your child’s case of pink eye, they’ll likely have teary eyes and a lot of sneezing. You’ll also likely notice the timing. Check whether they get pink eye seasonally, such as when the pollen count is high or when wildfire smoke is thick.
Dr. Ugobi warned that you can start with one kind of pink eye and end up with another.
For example, your child might cause or add irritation to an existing infection simply by rubbing their eyes too much. They also can start with pink eye from a virus or outside irritant, but then touching their eyes with dirty hands can introduce a bacterial infection.
Less common causes
Redness in the eyes can come from other sources, too:
- Rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune disorders
- Chemical irritants
- Dry eyes
- Tiredness
“Those of us who work in the medical industry have had the occasion when we spend too many nights in the hospital, and we end up with a pink eye that is not infectious. It’s not allergic. It’s just the eyes are strained, and they want to rest,” Dr. Ugobi said.
So be aware of other conditions that might be causing redness. But don’t lose sleep over pink eye if what your child really needs is more sleep.
How do you treat pink eye?
The first recommended treatment is a warm or cool compress, such as a washcloth over the eyes. Regardless of the temperature you find more soothing, keep the cloth clean and wash your hands often to prevent cross-contamination, Dr. Ugobi said.
Next you could try over-the-counter eye drops from the allergy section of the pharmacy. Artificial tears and other lubricants for dry eyes can help ease the irritation.
However, if you have a bacterial pink eye infection, you’ll need a prescription for eye drops that will not only soothe but clear it up.
How do you give a child eye drops?
The best way to apply eye drops is with open eyes. But small children might squirm if they see an eye dropper coming, so Dr. Ugobi has a few methods:
- Partner method: Have a second adult or older child hold them while you apply the eye drops. They could even help hold the smaller child’s eyes open.
- Pocket method: Ask the child to look up, then gently pull their lower lid out so you can aim eye drops for the pocket-like opening.
- Eyes closed method: Lean the child back somewhere comfortable and let them close their eyes – yes, really. Apply a couple of eye drops at the inner corner of the eye (closest to the nose), just in case you lose some. While the child is still lying down, ask them to open their eyes and blink a few times.
Finally, be sure everyone thoroughly washes their hands afterward.
When should you see a doctor for pink eye?
Dr. Ugobi said it’s time to get medical attention for pink eye if:
- You suspect there’s an object stuck in the eye that’s causing the redness – this could be an emergency.
- Your child’s eye secretions have changed from thin and clear to thick and yellowish.
- Your child feels worse, not better, after a few days.
- Your child has sensitivity to light, blurry vision, floaters or other changes in vision.
- Your child develops neck stiffness, which could be a sign of meningitis.
- Your child is an infant younger than 6 months.
Schedule an appointment with a provider — often available the same day — visit an acute care location, or schedule an e-visit at sanfordhealth.org/find-care.
Of course, it’s better to prevent illness in the first place. So Dr. Ugobi reminds patients to use good hand hygiene, washing thoroughly with soap and water, and sneezing or coughing into your elbow or a tissue.
Learn more
- The differences between allergies and sinus infections
- Is it a cold or RSV? Know when to call your child’s doctor
- An optometrist can help spot health issues
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Posted In Back to School, Children's, Family Medicine, Minot
