Pinkeye?

[FarmerJamie]

Based on symptoms last night of the youngest DD, we may be blessed with pinkeye. :/

Wiped down knobs, etc, last night. This morning, my eyes feel puffy and itchy.

Any advice out there?

 

[Neko-chan]

...

 

[Dace]

I think if it is a virus it will just itch and water and look red....if it is bacterial, it will hurt/ throb if you bend forward with your head down.

If it throbs, then you probably need to go to a doc. A bacterial infection will get worse and worse until you can not ignore it ( think Glen Close......'I will not be ignored!')
If it is just red and not really getting worse, then just put a warm cloth on it every now and then.

Good luck!

 

[abifae]

Based on symptoms last night of the youngest DD, we may be blessed with pinkeye. :/

Wiped down knobs, etc, last night. This morning, my eyes feel puffy and itchy.

Any advice out there?

Wash your hands constantly. You don't know how often you touch your eye and then touch anything else. It's one of the few things I advise a LOT of hand washing LOL. Any time you see the kids touch their face, at all, wash their hands. Scrub for 15 seconds, at least. Friction kills the germs.

Warm water saline baths for the eyes! Just soak a washcloth and lay it over your eyes and then into the dirty hamper to be washed in hot water and with bleach if you can.

Other than that, the usual sick stuff: lots of fluids and rest. Change the pillow case daily. Lots of sunshine and fresh air.

 

[Javamama]

There's a homeopathic eye drop by Similasan called pink eye relief that I've used before. Most grocery stores carry it. It's what I try first. (in addition to all the hygiene tips)

 

[Our7Wonders]

We've cured pink eye with brest milk. Sounds crazy, I know. But I've heard it from several different sources. I'm not nursing anymore - with 7 kids I was ALWAYS nursing, so I had it available. If one of ours turned up with pinkeye now I think I'd try raw goats milk since I have goats and it's always available.

FWIW - I expressed milk, filled a bottle and used an eyedropper to get it in the eye - didn't just go squirtin' it straight into the eye. Didn't want to leave anyone with a scarey mental image.

 

[Denim Deb]

So Jamie, how's your supply of breast milk?

 

[abifae]

...didn't just go squirtin' it straight into the eye.

That IS exactly what I was picturing.

 

[MorelCabin]

...didn't just go squirtin' it straight into the eye.

That IS exactly what I was picturing.

Me too!

 

[ORChick]

One of the pediatricians I used to work for would recommend Neosporin ointment. Regular Neosporin (wound ointment) is OTC, ophthalmic Neosporin (for the eyes) is prescription, but he said that the only difference was that the ophthalmic was *cleaned* one more time. If you use a new tube of the regular ointment, and are careful not to touch the tip of the tube to anything, including your fingertip, and use clean hands to apply it, it will do the same job of killing the bacteria as the more pricey stuff without endangering the eye. Put a tiny bit on your fingertip, pull the child's lower eyelid down a bit, and smear the ointment on the inside corner of the eyelid (works best, in my experience, when you are behind the patient). When the child blinks the ointment will be distributed throughout the eye. Do this three times a day for three days. If there is no improvement you should take the child to a doctor. And Abi is correct - hand washing, and cleanliness in general, are very important.