Pink Eye

How to Get Rid of Pink Eye

Pink eye effects, you guessed it, the eyes. It is also known as conjunctivitis and is an infection of the conjunctiva which is the membrane lining of the eyelid and eyeball. Although pink eye is not not serious, it can be rather annoying and unpleasant. It’s really just downright gross. When you have pink eye, you will experience redness, swelling, itching, burning and some nasty discharge from the eyes. Pink eye usually occurs on just one eye and is obvious due to the redness of the eye.

Pink eye is caused by bacteria and viruses. It is important to know that pink eye is extremely contagious, so if you know somebody that has pink eye, stay the heck away from them at all costs. Pink eye eventually goes away on its own, but there are some ways to speed up the recovery process.

Get Rid of Pink Eye
There are several things that you can do to get rid of pink eye faster. It is possible to get antibiotics for pink eye and they are usually the best cure. A doctor may prescribe medicine just in case there is an infection in the eye. Antibiotic eye drops can also be used to treat cases of pink eye, although this is not always the best method for children since they may not allow an adult to put the drops in their eye. When applying eye drops, be sure to wash your hands and don’t let the applicator touch your eye. If you do, you might as well throw it out and get a new one. You should not use over-the-counter eye drops that are merely meant to treat redness or dry eyes to treat pink eye. While they may provide relief from the burning and redness, they will actually delay the healing process and could even cause more severe damage that could be permanent. There are some eye drops that you can purchase that are specifically meant for pink eye and will say so on their packaging. You can also take aspirin or Tylenol to make the swelling go down a little.

If you have allergies, not only do they cause you to sneeze and have a runny nose, they can also irritate your eyes and eventually lead to pink eye. A good remedy for this situation is to use antihistamines and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs. If the regular medicine you buy at the drug store doesn’t work, you might need to get a stronger prescription from a doctor. If you are already on allergy medicines, then you are one step ahead.

Another simple home remedy for curing pink eye is to take a clean cloth soaked in hot or cold water and place it over your closed eyes. You should do this for about 10 or 15 minutes. Feel free to do this a few times a day to help resolve the symptoms of pink eye and get rid of it faster. After you are done with the cloth, be sure to either throw it away or toss it in the wash right away. You don’t want the pink eye to spread to someone else. It is possible to spread the condition in one eye to the other, so if just one eye is infected, only put the cloth over the one eye. Otherwise you could easily spread the infection. Then you’ll have a case of double pink eye.

It is very important to keep your eyes clean when you have pink eye. There will be some nasty discharge and crust that forms around the eye, so it is important to not let that stuff just sit there. If you do not know how to get rid of the stuff that has formed around your eye, then the infection might stay and could get even worse. Wipe your eyes with a clean cloth or tissues. After you are done, get rid of the cloth or tissue and wash your hands thoroughly. It is very important to do everything you can to not spread the infection to others.

Don’t Spread Pink Eye
Pink eye may not be a serious condition or illness, but it is highly contagious and should be treated using the proper precautions. If you or one of your kids (if you have kids) has pink eye, then do everything possible to keep from spreading it. The first thing to do is wash your hands often for more than a few seconds. Don’t sneeze everywhere if you have pink eye because this can also spread it. Everything you use while suffering from pink eye like towels and pillow cases should be washed on a daily basis to prevent the infection from spreading. It is even possible to spread pink eye from one eye to the other, to be aware of that at all times, too.

Never touch your eye that is infected. Women should also get rid of their cosmetics that they used prior to contracting pink eye as they are most likely contaminated. Children with pink eye are usually required to miss a day or two of school until they have been on antibiotics for that time. Children are the worst at spreading it, so sending an infected and contagious kid to school could result in everyone there getting it.

If your case of pink eye does not go completely away within a week or two, then you should call your doctor. There could be an additional infection that goes beyond pink eye. While most cases of pink eye will go away naturally, some require prescribed antibiotics.

Pink eye is nothing to panic about, it just needs to be handled properly. Taking simple precautions like the ones mentioned above will help you get rid of pink eye faster and prevent it from being spread to others. Pink eye is a nasty thing to have. Luckily, it is pretty rare. If you do manage to get it, it might make you look at the what caused it and to change the way you keep your things clean.