Here we are going to share information on the topic “can I treat pink eye at home?”. If your child or you have pinkeye, you might feel compelled to visit the doctor right away. However, you might not need to. Conjunctivitis, the medical term for pink eye, is similar to having the common cold in your eyes. Your symptoms will usually be modest, but they could get worse and necessitate a trip to the doctor. There are two extremely contagious forms of this illness that spread swiftly in a group, especially among children who touch objects and one another before touching their faces. Allergies result in a third variant. Regardless of the underlying cause, try these top home cures for pink eye while you wait for the illness to clear up.
The most common symptoms are redness, swelling, burning, and itching. Additionally, you may have an ocular discharge that resembles mucus. You may occasionally have light sensitivity or poor vision as a result of pink eye.
can I treat pink eye at home?
Viral vs bacterial conjunctivitis
- According to a 2019 review published in Cornea, if bacteria are the cause of your conjunctivitis (pink eye), you should see improvement within 24 hours of beginning antibiotic eyedrops or ointments.
- However, the most frequent form of pink eye, viral conjunctivitis, which typically develops after a respiratory illness, does not usually have a prescription medication for therapy (CDC).
- “There’s no medication you can take to make [viral conjunctivitis] go away, just like a cold,” said Y. Shira Kresch, OD, director of optometry at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, in an interview with Health. “However, there are numerous things you may do to improve your mood.”
Give Your Contacts a Vacation
In Oakland, California, Vivienne Sinh Hau, MD, an ophthalmologist with Kaiser Permanente, advised Health readers to remove their contact lenses until their symptoms subside. Additionally, removing your contacts for a while will help soothe inflammation and stop reinfection.
Change the shoes you were wearing when the symptoms appeared. Dr. Hau advised replacing the case and solution bottle in addition to everything else related to using contacts.
For the same reason, cease using any eye makeup you were using and throw away any that you had on when your symptoms first appeared.
According to a 2022 International Journal of Molecular Sciences article, artificial tears are lubricating solutions that are a staple of at-home treatment for pink eye.
Artificial drops assist in washing away any particles, pet hair, or ingredients from cosmetics that irritate your eyes.
Dr. Hau suggested selecting products free of preservatives and potentially irritating ingredients. In addition, using single-use vials is a smart idea. Single-use vials, according to Dr. Hau, keep you from contacting a contaminated tip and re-infecting your eyes.
Another piece of advice is to refrigerate the drops before using them. The cool temperature can revitalise the drops and ease burning, stinging, and irritation.
Dr. Hau advised against using eye drops that make redness claims. The tiny medications in those drops narrow the blood vessels in your eyes. Furthermore, certain medications may exacerbate irritability, Dr. Hau clarified.
Chilled Compresses
Applying a cool compress to your cheeks and eyelids helps reduce swelling and irritation, just as cooled drops can calm your eyes internally.
Warm Towels
On the opposite side of the thermometer, you could potentially find solace. Lids and lashes may stay together in certain pink eye cases due to a thick, sticky discharge, particularly in the morning.
According to Dr. Hau, using a warm towel can help your lids move more easily by releasing mucus.
Conjunctivitis, often known as pinkeye, is a condition that can be brought on by viruses, bacteria, and allergies. It irritates and reddens one or both of your eyes. The afflicted eye will leak a lot of discharge, either white or yellow. The symptoms might linger for a week, ten days, or more, but occasionally they go away on their own without the need for medical attention.
can I treat pink eye at home?
What is the duration of pink eye?
Conjunctivitis, another name for pink eye, usually clears up on its own in a week or two. You might attempt the solutions listed below to help make that time more comfortable.
I have pink eyes; should I call my doctor?
For pink eye, a visit to the doctor is sometimes necessary. Depending on the type and severity of your pink eye, the answer will vary. See your ophthalmologist as soon as possible if:
- You’re experiencing discomfort or difficulty seeing
- Your sensitivity to light increases.
- Your symptoms have gotten worse or have persisted for at least a week.
- There is a lot of pus or mucus coming from your eye.
- Do you exhibit any additional infection-related symptoms, such as fever or soreness?
- Pink eye can spread quickly in schools and is a common reason for absences from class. Make sure your children understand how to prevent diseases such as pink eye.
What quickly cures pink eyes?
In your haste to get rid of pink eye as soon as possible, exercise caution while attempting untested cures from dubious online sources. The following are the best and safest actions to take:
Give up using contact lenses. When you put your contacts back on, use a fresh pair. If you wear your old contacts again, they could make you sick again because they are probably infected.
Give up using eye makeup. Once your eyes are healthy, get fresh cosmetics and throw away your old ones.
Pink eye symptoms can frequently be reduced with at-home treatments like the ones listed below.
can I treat pink eye at home?
Home cures for bacterial and viral pinkeye
It could be bacterial, viral, or allergic pink eye if one or both of your eyes are red and hurting. In certain cases, determining the type of pink eye you have is simple, while in other cases, a doctor is the only one who can determine the cause of the issue.
Similar to a typical cold in the eye is viral pinkeye. The virus normally heals on its own, and there is no therapy available. Without therapy, viral pink eye should disappear in a week or two.
More mucus or pus is typically produced by bacterial pinkeye than by viral or allergy pinkeye. Antibiotics provided by a physician can treat bacterial pink eye.
You can:
- Help lessen the signs and symptoms of viral or bacterial pink eye
- Take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as ibuprofen.
- Apply nonprescription lubricating eye drops (artificial tears).
- For a few minutes, cover your eyes with a warm, damp washcloth. To create this heated compress:
- To prevent it from dripping, soak a fresh washcloth in warm water and then wring it out.
- After placing the wet towel over your eyes, let it remain there until it cools.
- Several times a day, or as often as seems comfortable, repeat this.
- Each time, use a fresh washcloth to prevent the infection from spreading.
- If you have pink eye that spreads to both eyes, use a separate washcloth for each eye.
- A warm towel can help release dried mucus if your eyelids are sticking together, allowing you to open your eyes.
Home cures for allergic pinkeye
If allergens are the cause of your conjunctivitis, it’s critical to address the allergy’s cause. As long as you come into contact with the thing that is causing your allergic pink eye, it will persist.
It is not possible to spread an allergic pink eye. If you have allergic conjunctivitis, you can still go to work or school, and no one else will get it. You can do the following to lessen allergy and pink eye symptoms:
- Use allergy eye drops or take allergy medication.
- For a few minutes, cover your eyes with a cool, damp washcloth.
- Apply nonprescription lubricating eye drops (artificial tears).
Can pink eyes be treated with Visine?
No! Use of red-reducing eye drops, such as Visine, is not advised for any sort of pink eye. If you have an infection, these sorts of eye drops could be exceedingly unpleasant. They might also exacerbate your symptoms.
Pink eye can spread just as quickly from germs or viruses as from the typical cold. Take caution not to transfer an infection from one infected eye to the other. Additionally, take care not to expose others to the virus in public.
Pink eye is very infectious. This is how to stop it from spreading.
To prevent the illness from spreading to other people or to your other eye, simple hygiene measures are sufficient.
- Change pillowcases and linens every day.
- Change your towel every day.
- Frequently wash your hands, especially after handling your eyes.
- Wearing contact lenses should wait until your eyes return to normal.
- Share nothing that brings tears to your eyes.
Can I treat pink eyes with breast milk?
Breastfeeding may cause more damage than good if you have pink eyes. One of the few studies on whether breast milk may fight infections revealed that it didn’t treat the most common causes of pink eye, and worse, breastfeeding can bring new bacteria into the eye and cause serious infections.
Young children’s eye infections can be extremely dangerous and potentially blinding. See a doctor right away, and don’t depend solely on home cures.
On the internet, there are a tonne of incorrect tips regarding pink eyes. Never place something in your eye that hasn’t been prescribed by a physician. Foods and herbal extracts can exacerbate eye diseases because they are non-sterile. Bloggers who suggest breast milk as a treatment for pink eye claim that certain compounds in breast milk can reduce inflammation and heal infections. However, there is no proof that this is beneficial.
Pink eye with the measles
Measles is resurfacing in children who have not received vaccinations, so it’s critical to be aware that pink eye might be a sign of the illness. Pink eye may appear concurrently with or before to a measles rash. Inquire as to whether pink eye could be a measles symptom by asking these questions:
- Is there a measles outbreak that has been reported nearby?
- Has the child received a measles vaccination? Measles conjunctivitis is quite improbable if this is the case.
- Exist any further signs of measles, such as a high fever (over 104 degrees Fahrenheit/40 degrees Celsius) or a red, splotchy rash? Be aware that other forms of pink eye, particularly in younger patients, can also result in fever. So a mild fever, or fever by itself, isn’t usually a symptom of measles.
- Does the youngster react negatively to normal indoor light? Pink eye caused by the measles is more likely to manifest as light sensitivity. Any major eye problem, usually involving sight-threatening damage to the cornea, is always indicated by sensitivity to indoor light. See an ophthalmologist instead of just a paediatrician or primary care physician.
- See an ophthalmologist as soon as possible if you suspect that you or a loved one has pink eye caused by the measles, and make sure they notify the relevant local health authorities. Measles can occasionally cause damage to the cornea, retina, or optic nerve, which can lead to blindness or loss of vision.
can I treat pink eye at home?
Handling Various Kinds of Pinkeye
Whatever the cause of your pinkeye, there are easy things you may do to feel better.
Apply a compress.
Put a clean cloth in cold water to soak it up. After wringing it out, carefully apply it to your closed eyelids. To avoid hurting your eyes, don’t apply too much pressure. Keep the compress away from the healthy eye if you only have pinkeye in one; otherwise, it can become infected as well. If using warm water helps, do so. However, avoid overheating it as this could exacerbate your pinkeye or burn your eyelids. Several times a day, apply a compress for a few minutes at a time. Verify that nobody else is using the cloth.
Apply eye drops.
Drops available over-the-counter can relieve itching. Seek out “artificial tears” or “lubricating” drops. Steer clear of those that cure “red eyes.” Your drops might feel even better if you keep them in the refrigerator.
Don’t use your contacts.
If you wear contacts, wait for your pinkeye to go away before putting them in. After that, you might need to get new lenses and a case. There could be viruses or bacteria residing there, and you could become ill again.
Treatment for Viral Pink Eye
A virus that causes pink eye may begin in one eye and move to the other. Usually, it goes away in a week or two on its own. For more severe viruses like varicella-zoster or herpes simplex, your doctor may prescribe medicine
Treating Bacterial Pinkeye
If bacteria are the cause of your pinkeye, you will likely have more mucous or pus. Antibiotics, typically eye drops, can be prescribed by your doctor. In a few days, mild cases could resolve on their own.
Use a warm towel to relax your eyelids if mucus is causing them to stay together.
Treatment for Allergic Pinkeye
Allergy-induced pinkeye typically improves after limiting contact with the allergen. Tests might be administered by your doctor to determine the issue.
- It is not communicable to get allergic pinkeye. You don’t have to worry about delivering it to someone else when you go to work or school.
- Wash clothes and pillowcases often. Taking a bath or shower before bed may also be beneficial.
- Consult your doctor about any possible medication benefits. They can suggest prescription or over-the-counter medications, such as:
- allergy drugs such as mast cell stabilisers or antihistamines
- steroids and decongestants are examples of anti-inflammatories
Prevention of Pinkeye
Take action to prevent pinkeye from infecting other people if it has already entered your home. The two most crucial points that all members of your household should keep in mind are:
- Hands-wash frequently.
- Try not to touch your eyes.
- Additionally, it’s beneficial to often wash and replace pillowcases and towels in hot water. Never give someone who has pinkeye a towel or pillow.
Sleep Aids in Pink Eye
Pink eye can be treated with the same simple self-care techniques that help with common cold or flu symptoms.
“You want to help your body fight against whatever’s invading the eye by energising it as much as possible,” Dr. Hau suggested.
Dr. Hau suggests the following natural treatments for pink eye:
- A plenty of sleep
- Hydration through water consumption
- A wholesome diet
- Reduction of stress
One further justification for lounging at home is: You should stay away from people until you are no longer contagious if pink eye is caused by bacteria or viruses.
If you have viral symptoms or are receiving treatment for bacteria, you stop being contagious after that.
Reducing Intoxins
If you have allergic pink eye, you can lessen the severity of your symptoms by avoiding that trigger.
For example, you might have just gotten a new set of bedding or begun using a new face wash, perfume, or detergent. Try to identify any recent changes that have occurred in your surroundings. Then, Dr. Kresch suggested eliminating any possible offenders.
If you’re unsure about the cause of your reaction, speak with your healthcare professional. They might be able to identify the source of your symptoms, or they might suggest that you see an allergist for further assessment.
Frequently asked questions
can I treat pink eye at home?
1. Can I treat pink eye on my own?
Answer: There are instances in which getting medical attention for conjunctivitis is crucial (pink eye). This isn’t usually required, though. You can use over-the-counter, prescription-free artificial tears and cold compresses to assist reduce some of the dryness and inflammation brought on by conjunctivitis.
2. What not to use on pink eye?
Answer: Avoid touching or rubbing your eyes. This may make the situation worse or cause it to spread to your other eye. Personal products including makeup, eye drops, towels, bedding, contact lenses and their containers, and eyeglasses should not be shared. When using eye products, avoid using the same ones on infected and non-infected eyes.
3. Does pink eye hurt?
Answer: Does pink eye cause pain? Rather of being painful, pink eye is typically irritating or bothersome. In addition, pink eye can make the affected eye feel hot or irritated. Schedule a visit with your doctor if, after a few days, your symptoms don’t improve.
4. Does pink eye reduce vision?
Answer: Conjunctivitis often has no direct effect on vision, although severe wetness or discharge may cause changes in vision. Since many other more serious disorders might mimic the symptoms of conjunctivitis, any significant changes in vision should be reported to an ophthalmologist.
5. Should I cover pink eye?
Answer: Do not wear an eye patch or hide your eyes in any way. After wearing disposable contact lenses, discard them and continue wearing glasses until the infection has cleared up. Steer clear of eye makeup. Replace your pillowcase every day, and wash worn pillowcases as soon as possible in hot water with detergent, keeping them apart from other items.
6. What causes pink eye poop?
Answer: Pink eye IS contagious from faeces.
Pink eye can be caused by excrement, or more precisely, by the bacteria or viruses found in poop. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that you can acquire pink eye if you touch your eyes after touching your hands that are contaminated with faeces.
7. What happens if you ignore pink eye?
Answer: Seeking a diagnosis of pink eye through a physical examination from an eye doctor is the best course of action if you suspect that you or your child has it. Certain forms of pink eye, namely those caused by bacteria, if left untreated, can result in infections of the tear ducts, eyelids, and cornea. Precaution is preferable to regret!
Conclusion
can I treat pink eye at home?
In conclusion, although minor episodes of pink eye (conjunctivitis) may be relieved by home treatments, it’s important to proceed cautiously with self-treatment and see a healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis. To some extent, symptoms can be relieved by simple measures including utilising artificial tears, applying warm compresses, and maintaining proper cleanliness. However, antihistamines may be helpful for allergic conjunctivitis, and prescription drugs may be necessary for bacterial or viral infections.
While home care might be helpful, it shouldn’t take the place of expert medical guidance. Seeking timely medical assistance is crucial if symptoms increase, persist, or if the nature of the pink eye is unclear. Recall that the eyes are sensitive organs, and preserving eye health requires correct treatment under the supervision of a medical professional.