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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staff
Preventing the spread of pink eye
Practice good hygiene to control the spread of pink eye. For instance:
- Don't touch your eyes with your hands.
- Wash your hands often.
- Use a clean towel and washcloth daily.
- Don't share towels or washcloths.
- Change your pillowcases often.
- Throw away your eye cosmetics, such as mascara.
- Don't share eye cosmetics or personal eye-care items.
Although pink eye symptoms may resolve in three or four days, children with viral conjunctivitis may be contagious for a week or more. Children may return to school when they no longer experience tearing and matted eyes.
If your child has bacterial conjunctivitis, keep him or her away from school until after treatment is started. Most schools and child care facilities require that your child wait at least 24 hours after starting treatment before returning to school or child care. Check with your doctor if you have any questions about when your child can return to school or child care.
Preventing pink eye in newborns
Newborns' eyes are susceptible to bacteria normally present in the mother's birth canal. These bacteria cause no symptoms in the mother. In rare cases, these bacteria can cause infants to develop a serious form of conjunctivitis known as ophthalmia neonatorum, which needs treatment without delay to preserve sight. That's why shortly after birth, an antibiotic ointment is applied to every newborn's eyes. The ointment helps prevent eye infection.
- Conjunctivitis. American Academy of Ophthalmology. http://one.aao.org/asset.axd?id=70977954-f688-41e3-a009-d2beb86765a9. Accessed April 26, 2010.
- Jacobs DS. Conjunctivitis. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed April 29, 2010.
- Care of the patient with conjunctivitis. St. Louis, Mo.: American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/documents/CPG-11.pdf. Accessed April 26, 2010.
- Conjunctivitis. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/conjunctivitis.xml. Accessed April 26, 2010.
- Conjunctiva/sclera/iris/external disease. In: Ehlers JP, et al. The Wills Eye Manual: Office and Emergency Room Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Wolters Kluwer Health Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&NEWS=N&PAGE=booktext&D=books&AN=01337416/5th_Edition/3&XPATH=/OVIDBOOK%5b1%5d/METADATA%5b1%5d/TBY%5b1%5d/EDITORS%5b1%5d. Accessed April 26, 2010.
- Olitzky SE, et al. Disorders of the conjunctiva. In: Kliegman RM. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/189473994-2/0/1608/0.html#. Accessed April 26, 2010.
- Koby M. Conjunctivitis. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191205553-2/0/2088/0.html#. Accessed April 26, 2010.
- Kapadia MK, et al. Evaluation and management of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America. 2006;39:959.
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