What is Pinkeye (Conjunctivitis)?
- Conjunctivitis is the inflammation (i.e. redness and swelling) of the thin tissue covering the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelids
Causes
- Infection (bacteria or virus)
- Allergies
- Irritant
Signs and Symptoms
- Red or pink eye
- Itchy and/or painful eye
- Green or yellow discharge
- Infected eyes can get “crusted” and may be difficult to open in the morning
- May affect one or both eyes
How is it spread?
- If bacterial/viral in nature – it can spread by direct contact with discharge from an infected eye
- If from allergy or irritant – usually not contagious
How do you treat it?
- When pink eye caused by infection, most often it is from virus, so antibiotic will not help – it will go away on its own in few days
- If caused by bacteria – it can be treated with antibiotic drops or gel. In that case, antibiotic eye drops should be used for 24 hours before going back to school
- Clean eyes before putting antibiotic drops
- Use warm water and wet cloth to remove pus/crusting and dispose it carefully
- Children who wear contact lens need to switch to glass for a while
- With treatment discharge should clear up in 2-3 days , however red eye may last up to week
When to Call the Pediatrician?
- If eye is extremely red, oozing or very painful
- If child complains about visual blurring or visual loss
Prevention
- The best method for preventing spread is good hand hygiene
- Careful hand hygiene before and after touching the eyes, nose, and mouth
- Avoid sharing towel, bed clothes or other personal items with person who has pink eye
Epic Urgent and Family Care serves the following neighborhoods and zip code for pink eye/conjunctivitis.
Neighborhoods we serve: Palatine, Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Inverness, Barrington, South Barrington, Rolling Meadows, Wheeling, Prospect Heights, Deerfield, Mount Prospect, Lake Zurich, Glenview, Vernon Hills, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Downers GroveZIP Codes we serve: 60004, 60074, 60010, 60011, 60005, 60007, 60008, 60015, 60016, 60018, 60025, 60047, 60061, 60062, 60067, 60656, 60089, 60090, 60106, 60107, 60169, 60192, 60193
