How long is Pink Eye contagious?

Answer 1

As long as you're taking medicine for it, it isn't contagious after twenty four hours. You need some doctor prescribed eye drops though.

Answer 2

There are six causes of pink eye:

1. Bacteria - when the eyes are red with yellow or green drainage oozing or crusting in the eye throughout the day and night, then bacteria are usually the culprit. The eyelids may also be swollen. Affects one or both eyes.

2. Virus - when the eyes are very red, but there is no drainage, or only a small amount of drainage or crusting upon waking up, then it is probably viral conjunctivitis. Usually affects both eyes

3. Allergy - allergic conjunctivitis is usually seasonal, mostly in the spring. The eyes are usually red with no drainage, and unusually itchy. Usually affects both eyes.

4. Foreign body - a piece of sand or dirt stuck under the eyelid can cause redness, tearing, pain and drainage. Usually affects one eye.

5. Plugged tear duct - this is a problem for newborns up to one year of age. It is eye drainage without any eye redness. Affects one or both eyes. Click on it for more info.

6. Scratched eye - can cause redness, tearing, and is very painful. Affects only one eye. Click on it for more info.

Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are the only two causes that are contagious. They are spread by contact with the eye drainage or tears.

* Bacterial is no longer contagious after 36 to 48 hours of antibiotic drops.

* Viral has no treatment, except to relieve the symptoms. It can be contagious as long as the eyes are red.

Answer 3

PINK EYE OR CONJUNCTIVITIS
1. Bacteria – when the eyes are red with yellow or green drainage oozing or crusting in the eye throughout the day and night, then bacteria are usually the culprit. The eyelids may also be swollen. Affects one or both eyes.

2. Virus – when the eyes are very red, but there is no drainage, or only a small amount of drainage or crusting upon waking up, then it is probably viral conjunctivitis. Usually affects both eyes

3. Allergy – allergic conjunctivitis is usually seasonal, mostly in the spring. The eyes are usually red with no drainage, and unusually itchy. Usually affects both eyes.

4. Foreign body – a piece of sand or dirt stuck under the eyelid can cause redness, tearing, pain and drainage. Usually affects one eye.

5. Plugged tear duct– this is a problem for newborns up to one year of age. It is eye drainage without any eye redness. Affects one or both eyes. Click on it for more info.

6. Scratched eye– can cause redness, tearing, and is very painful. Affects only one eye. Click on it for more info.

TREATMENT
Warm compress – hold a warm, wet washcloth against the eye and gently wipe away any drainage.
Saline eye drops – or artificial tears can sooth the eye whatever the cause. These can also be used to flush out any sand or dirt stuck in the eye.
Medication
Antibiotic ointment or drops – this is the treatment for bacterial conjunctivitis only.
Allergy eye drops – there are several prescription and over-the-counter antihistamine drops that can help alleviate eye allergies.
Visine - these over-the-counter drops can help with redness and irritation of sore eyes, except with bacterial conjunctivitis.
IS MY CHILD CONTAGIOUS?
Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are the only two causes that are contagious. They are spread by contact with the eye drainage or tears.

Bacterial is no longer contagious after 36 to 48 hours of antibiotic drops.
Viral has no treatment, except to relieve the symptoms. It can be contagious as long as the eyes are red.
Allergic conjunctivitis is not contagious.
WHEN TO WORRY (AND NOT TO WORRY)
Pink eye is generally not serious and should improve with treatment or time. You should contact you doctor if:

bacterial pink eye does not improve after 5 days of treatment
allergic pink eye does not improve after 5 days of treatment or if it worsens at any time during treatment (this may mean there is a bacteria involved).
viral pink eye begins to have more drainage
your child complains of any problems with their vision besides simple blurring from the discharge.

Answer 4

I had Pink eye last year and my doctor put me off work for 3 days. He told me as long as the eye is still pink, or red, that I was contagious.

Answer 5

24 hours after starting eye drops prescribed by a physician.

Answer 6

2 weeks

Answer 7

Symptoms
Redness, irritation and watering of the eyes are symptoms common to all forms of conjunctivitis. Itch is variable.

Acute allergic conjunctivitis is typically itchy, sometimes distressingly so, and the patient often complains of some lid swelling. Chronic allergy often causes just itch or irritation, and often much frustration because the absence of redness or discharge can lead to accusations of hypochondria.

Viral conjunctivitis is often associated with an infection of the upper respiratory tract, a common cold, or a sore throat. Its symptoms include watery discharge and variable itch. The infection usually begins with one eye, but may spread easily to the fellow eye.

Bacterial conjunctivitis due to the common pyogenic (pus-producing) bacteria causes marked grittiness/irritation and a stringy, opaque, grey or yellowish mucoid discharge (gowl, goop, or other regional names) that may cause the lids to stick together (matting), especially after sleeping. However discharge is not essential to the diagnosis, contrary to popular belief. Many other bacteria (e.g., Chlamydia, Moraxella) can cause a non-exudative but very persistent conjunctivitis without much redness. The gritty feeling is sometimes localised enough for patients to insist they must have a foreign body in the eye. The more acute pyogenic infections can be painful. Like viral conjunctivitis, it usually affects only one eye but may spread easily to the other eye.

Irritant or toxic conjunctivitis is irritable or painful. Discharge and itch are usually absent. This is the only group in which severe pain may occur.

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Signs
Injection (redness) of the conjunctiva on one or both eyes should be apparent, but may be quite mild. Except in obvious pyogenic or toxic/chemical conjunctivitis, a slit lamp (biomicroscope) is needed to have any confidence in the diagnosis. Examination of the tarsal conjunctiva is usually more diagnostic than the bulbar conjunctiva.

Allergic conjunctivitis shows pale watery swelling or edema of the conjunctiva and sometimes the whole eyelid, often with a ropy, non-purulent mucoid discharge. There is variable redness.

Viral conjunctivitis, commonly known as "pink eye", shows a fine diffuse pinkness of the conjunctiva which is easily mistaken for the 'ciliary injection' of iritis, but there are usually corroborative signs on biomicroscopy, particularly numerous lymphoid follicles on the tarsal conjunctiva, and sometimes a punctate keratitis.

Pyogenic bacterial conjunctivitis shows an opaque purulent discharge, a very red eye, and on biomicroscopy there are numerous white cells and desquamated epithelial cells seen in the 'tear gutter' along the lid margin. The tarsal conjunctiva is a velvety red and not particularly follicular. Non-pyogenic infections can show just mild injection and be difficult to diagnose. Scarring of the tarsal conjunctiva is occasionally seen in chronic infections, especially in trachoma.

Irritant or toxic conjunctivitis show primarily marked redness. If due to splash injury, it is often present only in the lower conjunctival sac. With some chemicals—above all with caustic alkalis such as sodium hydroxide—there may be necrosis of the conjunctiva with a deceptively white eye due to vascular closure, followed by sloughing of the dead epithelium. This is likely to be associated with slit-lamp evidence of anterior uveitis.

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Differential diagnosis
Conjunctivitis symptoms and signs are relatively non-specific. Even after biomicrosopy, laboratory tests are often necessary if proof of aetiology is needed.

Prominent itch and pale watery swelling (edema) of the conjunctiva or eyelids suggests allergy.

A purulent discharge strongly suggests bacterial cause, unless there is known exposure to toxins. Infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae should be suspected if the discharge is particularly thick and copious.

A diffuse, less 'injected' conjunctivitis (looking pink rather than red) suggests a viral cause, especially if numerous follicles are present on the lower tarsal conjunctiva on biomicroscopy.

Scarring of the tarsal conjunctiva suggests trachoma, especially if seen in endemic areas, if the scarring is linear (von Arlt's line), or if there is also corneal vascularisation.

Clinical tests for lagophthalmos, dry eye (Schirmer test) and unstable tear film may help distinguish the various types of dry eye.

Other symptoms including pain, blurring of vision and photophobia should not be prominent in conjunctivitis. Fluctuating blurring is common, due to tearing and mucoid discharge. Mild photophobia is common. However, if any of these symptoms are prominent, it is important to exclude other diseases such as glaucoma, uveitis, keratitis and even meningitis or carotico-cavernous fistula.

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Investigations
These are done infrequently because most cases of conjunctivitis are treated empirically and (eventually) successfully, but often only after running the gamut of the common possibilities.

Swabs for bacterial culture are necessary if the history & signs suggest bacterial conjunctivitis, but there is no response to topical antibiotics. Research studies indicate that many bacteria implicated in low-grade conjunctivitis are not detected by the usual culture methods of medical microbiology labs, so negative results are common. Viral culture may be appropriate in epidemic case clusters. Conjunctival scrapes for cytology can be useful in detecting chlamydial and fungal infections, allergy and dysplasia, but are rarely done because of the cost and the general lack of laboratory staff experienced in handling ocular specimens. Conjunctival incisional biopsy is occasionally done when granulomatous diseases (e.g., sarcoidosis) or dysplasia are suspected.

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Treatment and management
Conjunctivitis sometimes requires medical attention. The appropriate treatment depends on the cause of the problem. For the allergic type, cool compresses and artificial tears sometimes relieve discomfort in mild cases. In more severe cases, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications and antihistamines may be prescribed. Some patients with persistent allergic conjunctivitis may also require topical steroid drops.

Bacterial conjunctivitis is usually treated with antibiotic eye drops or ointments that cover a broad range of bacteria.

Although there is no cure for viral conjunctivitis, symptomatic relief may be achieved with cool compresses and artificial tears. For the worst cases, topical steroid drops may be prescribed to reduce the discomfort from inflammation. Patients are often advised to avoid touching their eyes or sharing towels and washcloths. Viral conjunctivitis usually resolves within 3 weeks.

Conjunctivitis due to burns, toxic and chemical require careful wash-out with saline, especially beneath the lids, and may require topical steroids. The more acute chemical injuries are medical emergencies, particularly alkali burns, which can lead to severe scarring, intraocular damage or even loss of the eye. Fortunately such injuries are uncommon, but the severity of the injury is often not recognised by the doctor or health worker initiating treatment.