• About Me
  • Privacy Policy and Disclosure Policy

Shann Eva's Blog

A peek into my messy life with 3 boys

  • Home
    • My Delivery Story
    • Twin Pregnancy
  • Work with Me!
  • Money-Saving Links
  • Blog
    • Shann’s Favorites
    • Shopping
    • Birthdays
    • Health
    • Micro Preemie Mondays
  • Submit Your Story
    • Share an Update
  • Twin pregnancy
You are here: Home / Blog / Pink Eye Stinks: Signs and Treatment

Pink Eye Stinks: Signs and Treatment

February 23, 2017 By Shann 8 Comments

Pink Eye

In addition to the normal craziness around here, the twins were both diagnosed with Pink Eye 2 weeks ago. (On a side note, some websites spell it Pinkeye and not “Pink Eye,” but that looked weird to me!)

While it’s super annoying and a lot of fun to treat, Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) is not usually serious. However, it is very, very contagious.

Since this is the second time the twins have battled the Pink Eye stink eye, I’m sharing signs you should look for and treatment options.*

*I am not a doctor or health professional. All information I’m sharing is from personal experience or health websites. If you think you may have Pink Eye, please consult your doctor or other health professional.

Pink Eye is a highly contagious and very common childhood illness. I'm sharing the signs, treatment options, and helpful tips to get you and your child through this infection.

What is Pink Eye?

According to WebMD,

Pinkeye is redness and swelling of the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that lines the eyelid and eye surface.

Basically, you have a really red eye. Sometimes, there is also swelling and drooping of the lid, and a yucky, sticky discharge.

For Little P, his eyes were very red, and he had some discharge, which made his eyelashes stick together. His eyes looked very painful and irritated. My husband, who got Pinkeye the last go-round, said it feels like you have sand in your eye. Ouch.

Pink Eye Stinks!
This was actually day 5, and his eyes were looking MUCH better. Please excuse the Christmas pajamas and Valentine’s headband.

So, if you suspect Pink Eye, off the doctor you go…which is what we did.

What we learned from the Doctor

Pink Eye can be the result of a bacterial infection, a virus, or even allergies. Our doctor does not swab to see which kind of infection it is, but just treats it with some antibiotic eye drops. Other doctors may be different, but most err on the side of caution when it come to this kind of infection.

It is also important to check the ears, nose, and throat of the infected child. Often, Pink Eye is accompanied by another infection, like Strep throat or an ear infection. So, even though Pink Eye itself isn’t dangerous, the other infections can be more serious. Also, Pink Eye does often clear up without treatment, but it takes a lot longer. Instead of a couple days with the drops, it can take over a week if left untreated.

I don’t know about you, but a sand-like feeling in my eye and eye crusties need to go away as fast as possible.

Little P did not have any other infections, however, Big C had the start of Pink Eye and an ear infection. Good thing I brought both twins in just in case.

The Treatment

As I mentioned earlier, Pink eye will eventually clear itself within one to two weeks, even without treatment. If there is another infection at the same time, that may need to be treated with oral antibiotics.

The treatment of eye drops, however, will shorten the duration and also make the child more comfortable. So, that’s exactly what we did.

Also, to get rid of the discharge and crust around the eye, use a warm wash cloth with No Tears Baby Shampoo.

The Drops

Eye drops are NOT fun to administer. Not fun at all. Especially to wild, 4-year-old twins.

And no, they aren’t administered just once a day.

4 TIMES a day! 2 in each eye!

I would position the child on my lap. Holding their arms down with my elbows, while propping their one eye open with one hand, and squeezing 2 drops into the eye as fast as I could. It was definitely easier when my husband or grandpa could help and hold them down.

Also, if you’re not a fan of holding their eye open, you can have them close their eyes. Then, squirt the drop into the inner corner of their eye, and have them open and blink their eye a few times. It will get the drop in.

Make sure you have clean hands or wear gloves while administering the drops. Also, never touch the eye dropper to the eye or surrounding eye area, as you want to keep the container free from the germs.

Prevention?

As I mentioned, Pink Eye is very common, especially in young children. When they are in daycare or school, they learn all about sharing, and unfortunately, a lot of that sharing is germs. The biggest way to prevent Pink Eye (or any illness, really)

WASH YOUR HANDS!!!

Before you touch your face, put them in your mouth, or eat anything, wash your hands!

Warm water and soap and make your child sing through the alphabet while doing it. That way it’s around 20 seconds. Don’t forget to wash in between fingers and the backs of those hands too!

Remember, I am not a doctor, so if you think your child has Pink Eye, please consult a doctor or other health professional.

Have you had to deal with Pink Eye before? Any other good eye drop tips?

Vote For Me @ The Top Mommy Blogs Directory Vote For Me @ The Top Mommy Blogs Directory

Filed Under: Blog, Health Tagged With: allergy, bacterial infection, bloodshot eyes, children, conjunctiva, conjunctivitis, crust, discharge, doctor, eye, eye drops, eyelid, hospital, membrane, pink eye, Pinkeye, preschoolers, red eye, swelling, treatment, Twins, Urgent Care, viral infection

Comments

  1. Candy Kage says

    February 23, 2017 at 8:45 am

    The dreaded pink eye. Kids always came home from school once a year with pink eye.

    Reply
  2. Jasmine Hewitt says

    February 23, 2017 at 11:05 pm

    I remember spring time always gave my brother pinkeye with his allergies

    Reply
  3. Meghna says

    February 24, 2017 at 10:47 am

    Aww.. Hugs to you. Wish the pink eye leaves your family alone soon.

    Reply
  4. Jacqui says

    February 25, 2017 at 9:35 am

    Pink eye is awful! I worked in child care for many years and it is one of the most common problems. I even woke up with it myself on Mother’s Day two years ago.

    Reply
  5. miles and ellie says

    February 25, 2017 at 11:14 pm

    Pink eye is never a good time. ever. I can’t imagine having to deal with two twins with pink eye.

    Reply
  6. Inez @ For the Love of Mom says

    March 1, 2017 at 1:37 am

    Pink eye is really no fun! My son hasn’t had it yet, but I’ve gotten it before from kids at work. 🙁 This is really helpful!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Packing: Tips, Tricks, and Lists - Shann Eva's Blog says:
    January 29, 2019 at 9:01 am

    […] people judge me, I’m perfectly fine with that. We’ve gotten pinkeye , ear infections, and the flu on vacation, so I’m not taking any […]

    Reply
  2. Life Changes: How to Roll with the Punches - Shann Eva's Blog says:
    May 16, 2019 at 6:16 am

    […] course, after I was healthy, my kids took turns being sick. We had another bout of Pink Eye, Mr. B had Strep throat, and I’m actually home right now with one that had a fever last […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Meet Shann

Shann Hi! I'm a mom, writer, and dancer. I love sharing my parenting experiences, my healthy living tips, my money saving ideas, and our travel plans. My passion to help other women inspired this blog. I hope you'll stay a while and come back often.

Need Help Finding Something?

Follow Me

Subscribe to Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

  • Writing as Therapy May 16, 2022
  • COVID: The (Not) Good, The Bad, and The Ugly Guilt August 20, 2021
  • Healthy Lifestyle: Making Baby Steps Back July 27, 2021
  • 2020 Year In Review: The Highlights December 31, 2020
  • Premature Birth Awareness: Helpful Vs. Hurtful November 9, 2020

Facebook

Facebook
MKE Moms Blog
Copyrighted.com Registered & Protected 
M6VU-YLWL-D4JY-XAO4

Copyright © 2023 · Blog Design by Quality Websites On A Budget

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT