Advice Please I Think I Have Pink Eye

Updated on February 23, 2013
L.M. asks from Conneaut, OH
14 answers

volunteered in a preschool teacher told me it was going around. thought i washed my hands well enough.

couple days later started to get a sore throat and feel congested, but my nose isn't running, wheni first wake up and get a shower and then blow my nose it is very very think and dark yellow, but then nothing comes out the rest of the day.

Now my left eye is itchy, swollen and red. w yellow drainage.

I have heard that some drs don't prescribe antibiotic eye drops for pink eye because it just has to.... run it's course??

The eye symptoms started after 5 pm yesterday friday. My Dr doesn't have sat hours, do i call their on call what ever number? do i just go to an urgent care clinic place? so i just ride it out?? I don't want to take time off of work to go to the dr on monday so that probably isn't an option.

I have been using the neti pot for the congestion.

how contagious am i to my family ???? i was after i wipe my eyes,

thank you

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

I did go to urgent care, but then i wondered why grownups would need to call the after hours number. ( i mean for thenselves) It seems like either it's an emergency you need the ER or you would try to stick it out and wait.

It obviously wasn't ER level, but i didn't want to wait until Monday. and this itches soooo bad i can't imagine sticking it out 2 weeks.

At first i thought i could deal till it cleard up on its own but when i wake myself up in the night itching and it's glued shut in the am, and swollen, then I guess i do want the antibiotics even if it's a placebo effect.

I have antibiotic drops for both eyes. and also tried the neosporine, which was good for 10 mins, then i had a 10 min itching bout and am back to being ok agian. not sure if that was all coincidence of what, I"m going to try again after i get a shower and see..

This is no fun, and i wish hubs and kids would have some pity for me, instead the kids are fighting, and hubby decided that floating ash and smoke from our wood fireplace would be just what i need. so i'm going to go hang out in my room away from EVERYBODY.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

More Answers

K.I.

answers from Los Angeles on

If it is pink eye you need to see a doctor, every time my nephews have gotten it (they wrestle) they have been given prescription drops to clear it up.

It is highly contagious so keep up on washing your hands!!!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.B.

answers from Redding on

It could be an eye infection. It could be drainage from your sinuses due to a cold.

This may sound crazy. I know it sounded crazy when the pharmacist told me about it. In fact, I suffered until it was in both eyes until I was desperate enough, I didn't care if I went blind. He told me to put Neosporin on a Q-tip, close my eyes and run it along my lash line, keeping my eyes closed for a while. The relief was virtually immediate, and no....I didn't go blind. Both of my eyes were cleared up in a shorter amount of time than I had suffered.

I know it says not to use Neosporin in or near the eyes. That's why I held off, but I really did get desperate enough to try it. My son had to get the first aid kit for me because my eyes were so swollen, I couldn't even see.

You use just plain Neosporin, triple antibiotic creme, not the kind that has any numbing ingredients or anything like that. Just the plain stuff.

It's worth a try, and unless you are allergic to Neosporin, it won't hurt you. You don't put it directly IN your eye, just along the lash line, especially at the inner corner of your eye. Lay down with your eye closed for a few minutes and gently dab off any excess. Certainly, wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

A $2 tube of Neosporin saved me medical appointments and prescriptions.

I wish I'd listened to the pharmacist in the first place.

Best wishes.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.K.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

We just had this run through our house we think my daughter brought it home from preschool. We all got a super sore throat, bloodshot eyes and nasty yellow discharge from our eyes. Hubby had it the worst and had to have steroid eye drops his cleared up within a week. I didn't get treated and let it run it's course. It's been two weeks for me and it's just now clearing up. I got drops for my youngest who woke up with eyes crusted closed. His cleared up within four days. The sore throat is usually associated with the viral version but the drops helped my son. I would call your doctor and see if they can call in a presciption for you. That's what my pediatrician did. It started on a Saturday for my son and I never even took him into see the doctor. You are very, very contagious. Wash your sheets and towels and your hands every time you touch your face.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.B.

answers from Dallas on

Yes, it's pretty contagious. Remember you got it even with forewarning and diligent hand washing.

There are two types of pink eye, bacterial and viral. Viral runs it's course and bacterial requires drops. We have had both in this house, but the symptoms are exactly the same.

And urgent care place is a good option so you don't have to miss work. Although, most work places will not want you there with oozing eyes anyway. They may also be able to give you something for your cold symptoms. You could also try a minute clinic at the local pharmacy. I took my son there last time he got pink eye, because his pediatrician was completely booked that day and we weren't considered "urgent".

M.J.

answers from Milwaukee on

Very contagious to your family and I have always gotten drops when we've gotten pink eye.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.L.

answers from Las Vegas on

Use Boric Acid (sounds harsh, but it's not) they actually put it in contact lense solution

anyway, get it at the local pharmacy and use it to rinse your eyes out every so often.. It's inexpensive and works..

also, don't forget to change your pillowcase.........

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.T.

answers from Boston on

So do you have it or not?

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.W.

answers from Portland on

Go see a doctor. There are two kinds of pink eye, bacterial and viral. Bacterial should be treated with drops (and then, you are still contagious until it's gone), and viral-- they go away when they go away. Both kinds are contagious.

When my preschoolers contracted it, I sanitized all the toys/surfaces, etc. In your case, keep your hands washed every time you wipe your eyes, even with a tissue. Keep your hands off your eyes, your kids away from your face, and cover your coughs and sneezes. Wash any linens which come into contact with your head. Likely, whatever's going to happen will happen. But do go see a doctor. Even if I had to wait for a few hours in urgent care, it would be better than not going at all.

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

It is very contagious. Thing is pink eye doesn't go with a cold or the other way around. What I mean is you can have a cold and not pink eye and pink eye without a cold.

It sounds, and I am no doctor, that your cold is causing the symptoms. Just wash your hands a lot and rub your eyes with tissues and throw them away.

If you want to have it checked out find and acute care. I had the allergy induced conjunctivitis and found out Walgreen's acute care will not even look at it. Then again allergy induced conjunctivitis isn't contagious so after a few hours of moisturizing eye drops and it was gone.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.L.

answers from Topeka on

Do you have a nurse line with your insurance carrier?

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.2.

answers from Chicago on

Hmmm....not sure if it's pink eye you actually have or just part of the headcold that you're talking about. My entire house is finally getting over nasty headcolds that we've all been 'sharing' for the past three weeks and we all (except hubby) had the exact symptoms that you're describing with our eyes. I was the first to get it so I called my eye doctor and they recommended warm compresses on my eyes several times a day and lots of hand washing. She said to give it a day or two to clear up since it was most likely related to the headcold I had but if it didn't get better I needed to be seen! Luckily my eye cleared up two days later! The very next day my daughter started with the same eye symptoms (she also had the headcold) but was complaining of pain in her eye so I called her pediatrician and they also recommended warm compresses, lots of hand washing and Tylenol for the pain. If her eye didn't clean up in the next day or so they wanted to see her but luckily her eye cleared up the next day.

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Sometimes after I have a cold my eyes might get a little red.
I put a cold pack on them (have a damp washcloth between your skin and the cold pack) and cool your eyes off for awhile.
Most of the time the redness goes away and doesn't come back.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.B.

answers from Fargo on

My husband will get pink eye during a cold....it's viral and has to run it's course. My kids get pinkeye only and we go to dr and get meds. Im not sure if that helps, but typically it takes a Dr to tell the difference. We've never spread pink eye between family members.....we are careful to wash and not touch eye and something else.

A.M.

answers from Kansas City on

brew some chamomile tea and bathe your eyes in it (with a tea-soaked washrag) as often as you can stand it (every 30 minutes even). the tea draws out the infection (doesn't matter what kind). you might just have a cold and the infection has gotten into your eyes. that happens. i had this happen (with the nasty yellow eye gunk, ewww) and it was awful. and embarrassing, and i had to go to work :( the tea cleared it up within 2 days- totally gone. i swear it is worth it. try it!

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions