Pinkeye

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Causes

Signs/Symptoms

Care

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

• To ease discomfort, apply a clean, warm or cool washcloth to your eye several times a day for 10 to 20 minutes.
• Do not touch or rub your eyes with your hands.
• Gently wipe away any discharge from the eyes with tissues.
• To keep from spreading infection, wash your hands often with soap and use paper towels to dry.
• Do not share towels or washcloths.
• Sunglasses may be helpful if light bothers your eyes.
• Do not use eye makeup. Keep contact lenses out of eyes until the irritation is gone.
• Do not drive or operate machinery if your vision is blurred.
• Keep children home from school or daycare until the eye is no longer pink.
• Your doctor may give you antibiotic medicine to treat your eye infection. You may also use nonprescription eyedrops to help your pain.

Call Your Doctor If...

• The eye is still pink 3 days after starting treatment with medicine.
• Pain in the eye increases, the redness spreads, or your vision becomes blurred.
• You develop a high temperature.
• You have any problems that may be related to the medicine you are taking.

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