What Is Pink Eye?
Pink eye, otherwise known as conjunctivitis, is a common condition involving inflammation of the lining of the eye. Despite being very uncomfortable and highly contagious, most cases of pink eye are easily treated and rarely pose a threat to the eye or vision when quickly diagnosed.
There are many potential causes for pink eye. The type of pink eye you are diagnosed with, and your possible symptoms will depend on the underlying cause. In many cases, pink eye home remedies can be combined with medical care from a doctor to ease symptoms and treat pink eye effectively.
Symptoms of Pink Eye
Viral, bacterial, and allergic are the most common types of pink eye infections, with viral pink eye considered the most contagious. Pink eye can also be caused by reactions to eye drops, shampoos, sexually transmitted diseases, and other issues.
Depending on the underlying cause, symptoms of pink eye can include:
- Redness of the eye
- Swelling in or around the eye and lymph nodes
- Excessive watering or tearing of the eye
- White, yellow, or green discharge that may crust
- Itching and burning
- Blurry vision
Self-diagnosing pink eye or any eye condition is not recommended. If you experience pink eye symptoms or vision abnormalities, see your doctor at your earliest convenience. If your eye doctor is unavailable, your primary care physician can diagnose and treat mild cases of pink eye.
Treating Pink Eye at Home
Before and during your treatment of pink eye, some home remedies can help alleviate symptoms and reduce the spread of pink eye in your home.
Avoid Touching Your Eyes and Face
Many forms of pink eye are highly contagious and can quickly spread from one of your eyes to both eyes or to another person. To help reduce the chance of spreading pink eye:
- Avoid any unnecessary touching of your eyes and face.
- Wash your hands immediately after you clean your face or affected eye areas, and use clean, sanitary materials each time you wash the affected areas.
- Avoid wearing contacts when you have pink eye to reduce inflammation and hand-to-eye contact.
If you are providing care for an individual with pink eye, wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly after each contact with affected areas.
Toss, Wash, or Replace Contaminated Items
Contacts are generally not recommended for use during any eye infection, including most forms of pink eye. Make sure to dispose of any contacts which have been used in an infected eye. Attempting to reuse contaminated contacts can prolong, worsen, or spread pink eye.
After successfully treating your pink eye, make sure to clear the use of contact lenses with your eye doctor and use a fresh lens or set of lenses. Wash any pillowcase or cloth that comes into contact with infected eyes after each use, and do not share these items with other people.
Replace any mascara wands, eyelash curlers, or eyeliner products that have been used on an infected eye, and wait until the infection is resolved before using clean or new versions of these products on your eyes.
Compresses and Damp Cloth Cleanings
Using cool or warm compresses can help alleviate inflammation and drainage caused by pink eye. Additionally, gently cleaning the affected area several times daily with a cloth soaked in cool or slightly warm water can bring relief. You may be tempted to use hot water to clean the affected area, but doing so could further irritate your eye or cause scalding.
Ensure that any cloth used in compresses or cleaning is lint-free and clean. Cloth used to clean an infected eye should not be used on a healthy eye or for any purpose other than cleaning or treating the infected eye. Do not share these compresses or cleaning cloths with other people.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Your doctor may recommend an over-the-counter treatment, either alone or in combination with a prescription treatment.
Eye drops designed to lubricate the eye or relieve itchiness may provide some relief from pink eye symptoms. Avoid eye drops designed to alleviate redness, and do not use eye drops if you feel that a reaction to eye drops might have caused your pink eye.
If allergies have caused your pink eye, you may benefit significantly from using over-the-counter allergy medication to alleviate your symptoms. These medications provide targeted inflammation relief and come in tablet, topical, eye drop, and nasal spray forms.
For viral pink eye, your doctor may recommend nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) medication. NSAIDs are widely available in stores and may relieve the pain and inflammation that is common with pink eye. Speak to your doctor to see if using an NSAID for your symptoms is right for you.
Avoid Homeopathic Treatments and Follow Doctor Recommendations
There are a considerable number of proposed treatments for pink eye available on the internet. These proposed treatments range from reasonable to dangerous. It is always recommended that you ask your doctor before self-diagnosing or attempting any home treatment, especially when targeting an area as sensitive as your eyes.
Your primary doctor or eye doctor is trained to recognize common and rare eye infections and conditions and recommend courses of effective and safe treatment. If your doctor has prescribed antibiotic eyedrops, use the eye drops as recommended and complete the recommended course of medication. Improperly using antibiotics can cause bacteria to become medicine-resistant and may result in a more dangerous type of infection.
Misdiagnosing an eye infection carries considerable risk, so it’s important to know when it’s a good idea to defer to your doctor in these matters.
When to See a Doctor About Pink Eye Symptoms
In general, adults should seek medical attention if experiencing:
- Any pain in or around the eye
- Distorted or impaired vision
- Light sensitivity or headaches
- Fever or chills
- Green or yellow discharge
- Any sudden onset of eye-related symptoms that impair everyday activities
Those with compromised or weakened immune systems, including infants and the elderly, should always seek medical attention for a potential eye infection. People in these categories are at a higher risk of severe complications as a result of any infection.
If you’re concerned that you or a loved one may have pink eye, contact your eye doctor as soon as possible to receive the most effective relief and treatment and consider using these pink eye home remedies to ease symptoms along with medical care.