Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)
This month we will be sharing some information about a common concern in children- pink eye. The medical term for pink eye is conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis literally means inflammation of the conjunctiva (the thin tissue covering the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelid). When we see pink or red discoloration of the white part of the eye we are seeing inflammation that can be caused by a number of different things such as:
- Viruses
- Bacteria
- Allergies
- Chemicals
This blog post will focus on pink eye caused by viruses and bacteria since they are both contagious and cause the most concern in child care and school settings.
Viral Pink Eye
- Pink, watery eye may be crusted shut in the morning, followed by watery drainage +/- thin stringy mucus
- May have burning, sandy, or gritty feeling in eye
- Typically starts in one eye and the second eye may become involved within 24-48 hours
- Often caused by a virus that can cause the common cold. May be associated with runny nose, congestion, cough, fever, sore throat, or swollen glands.
- Highly contagious, can be spread by direct contact with the sick person or with their secretions (from eyes, nose, or mouth) that are left behind on contaminated objects or surfaces.
- The contagious period continues while signs or symptoms are present.
- Symptoms get better on their own over time. Initially they may worsen for the first 3-5 days, then slowly improve over the course of 1-2 weeks.
- Lubricating eye drops like artificial tears (available over the counter) may help reduce the symptoms but do nothing to treat the virus.
- May try warm or cool compresses for comfort.
- Antibiotics for viral pink eye do not help the child or reduce chance of spreading the virus.
- To avoid spread, encourage your child to wash their hands with soap and water often and do not allow the child to share towels, bedding, utensils or other personal items with others.
Bacterial Pink Eye
- Red or pink, itchy, painful eye
- Usually in just one eye but can be both
- Often crusted shut in the morning, followed by thick, pus-like drainage that may be yellow, white, or green
- More pus-like discharge appears within minutes of wiping it away
- Highly contagious, spread by direct contact with sick person or with their secretions (from eyes, nose, or mouth), left behind on contaminated objects or surfaces
- May get better on its own in most cases but treatment with antibiotic eye drops or antibiotic eye ointment will shorten the illness
- Symptoms should start to improve within 1-2 days after starting treatment.
- Most daycare centers and school require at least 24 hours of treatment before allowing a child to return.
- Always be sure to use the medication for as long as it was prescribed.
- When using eye drops for an infection, do not touch your healthy eye after touching the pink eye, and do not touch the bottle or dropper directly to the eye. Doing these things may cause the infection to spread to the other eye.
- To avoid spread, encourage your child to wash their hands with soap and water often and do not allow the child to share towels, bedding, utensils or other personal items with others.
Warning Signs
If a pink eye is ever associated with the following signs, please seek care for your child immediately:
- Change in vision or trouble seeing clearly
- Difficulty keeping the eye open or a severe sensitivity to light
- Sensation that something is stuck in the eye (foreign body sensation)
- Severe headache with nausea
- Recent trauma to the eye
How to give eye drops or eye ointment to your child
Placing eye drops or eye ointment into a baby or young child’s eye may be difficult. Please visit the following website for helpful instructions: