If pink eye is known for anything, it's famous for being contagious. But did you know that some forms of pink eye are not contagious? The fallacy comes from a misunderstanding of the condition pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis.
Pink eye is a blanket term that encompasses bacterial, viral, and allergic inflammation of the membranes just inside the eyelid, or conjunctiva. Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis spread quickly and indiscriminately, but pink eye from allergens like dust or pollen cannot be spread to others. Treating pink eye is simple and painless, but treatment depends on the cause, which only your doctor can determine.
Symptoms and Treatment
So how do you know whether a specific case is infectious? Look at the symptoms. Allergic irritation might be accompanied by a stuffy nose, and PubMed Health notes it will likely diminish when the culpable factor is removed. Viral pink eye however, needs to run its course, usually several days. Both eyes may be affected. Bacterial conjunctivitis is the most well-known and is identified by a sticky yellow or light green discharge from the eye. A person with bacterial pink eye may be alarmed upon waking in the morning, because the discharge can be sticky enough to cause difficulty opening the eye. All three causes present the feeling of irritation and reddish color in the whites (or sclera) of the eye.
If someone you know develops pink eye, here's how you can do your best to avoid catching it:
- Avoid touching your eyes.
- Wash your hands more often than usual.
- Toss tissues as soon as you use them; don't reuse.
- Keep your own items to yourself; avoid sharing tissues, towels, and washcloths with others.
- Wash pillow cases.
- Disinfect surfaces around the home frequently.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze.
- Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.
- As for contact games with children, use the old jingle, "When in doubt, sit it out."
If you're the one with pink eye, you can keep others from contacting it with these measures. You can also prevent reinfecting yourself.
Most importantly, once you know you or a child has pink eye, get to the doctor for diagnosis and treatment, since only he can determine for certain whether the infection is a bacteria, virus, or allergy.
If he determines your case to be bacterial, antibiotic drops or ointments will shorten the duration of the condition and reduce its ability to spread. Allergy medications are available if the pink eye is from environmental irritants.
You might treat pink eye at home with a warm (or cold) wet washcloth over the eyes for 20 minutes at a time to soothe the irritation. The CDC notes that artificial tears may also relieve dryness and swelling. At-home treatments may be effective, but your doctor has what you need for treating pink eye correctly and quickly.
There are rarely any complications with pink eye, but it's possible for the cornea to become inflamed, affecting your vision. Also, self-diagnosed pink eye may be something more serious, and only your doctor's diagnostic tools can verify conjunctivitis.
In the Pink
This time of year, as children return to school and folks start autumn routines, people are in close contact once again. Yet pink eye does not have to be an inevitable part of family life, and with a little knowledge, you can prevent this particular infection from spreading. If you make it through the whole school year without it, let us know — we'll be tickled pink!
