Reprints
A single copy of this article may be reprinted for personal, noncommercial use only.
Pink eye: How long is it contagious?
By Mayo Clinic staffOriginal Article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pink-eye/AN01832
- With Mayo Clinic emeritus ophthalmologist
Dennis Robertson, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Dennis Robertson, M.D.
Dennis Robertson, M.D.
Dennis M. Robertson was born in South St. Paul, Minn., and grew up in a musical family on the Mississippi River. He completed his undergraduate and graduate training at the University of Minnesota, where he received a B.A., B.S. and M.D.
Following an internship at San Bernardino County Hospital in California, he worked for two years on Indian reservations under the umbrella of the United States Public Health Service. He later completed a residency in ophthalmology at Mayo Clinic and pursued postgraduate fellowship training in vitreoretinal disorders at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. He returned to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., in 1967.
His studies included a sabbatical during 1987 and 1988 at Moorfields and St. Bartholomew’s hospitals in London. His scientific interests have been chiefly in disorders of the retina and vitreous and ocular oncology. In 1999, he became the recipient of the Whitney and Betty MacMillan Professorship.
He retired from full time clinical practice in July 2004. In August 2005, he returned to work part-time at the Mayo Clinic until retiring again in December 2007.
Treatments and drugs (2)
- Pink eye: How long is it contagious?
- Pink eye treatment: What if I wear contact lenses?
Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Question
Pink eye: How long is it contagious?
How long is pink eye contagious? My son's child care has a policy that children with pink eye stay home until they're no longer contagious.
Answer
from Dennis Robertson, M.D.
Pink eye (conjunctivitis) generally remains contagious as long as the eye continues to tear and produce a discharge. Signs and symptoms of pink eye usually improve within three to seven days. When tearing and discharge are no longer present, it's appropriate for a child to return to school or child care.
If the pink eye is caused by a bacterial infection, treatment with antibiotic drops or ointment for the eyes may be necessary. Some schools and child care facilities require that a child wait at least 24 hours after starting treatment before returning. Good hygiene — including hand-washing after touching the eyes — is important to minimize spread of the disease.
Next questionPink eye treatment: What if I wear contact lenses?
- Jacobs DS. Conjunctivitis. http://www.uptodate.com/ index. Accessed May 5, 2012.
- Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2012: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..C2009-0-38601-8--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05611-3&uniqId=291436269-101. Accessed May 5, 2012.
- Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 10, 2012.
Find Mayo Clinic on