How long is conjunctivitis contagious child
Pinkeye (Conjunctivitis) (for Teens) - Nemours KidsHealth
What Is Pinkeye?
You might know the eye infection conjunctivitis (pronounced: kun-junk-tih-VY-tus) as pinkeye. It's common in young kids because it's usually contagious and tends to sweep through preschools and playgrounds. But even teens and adults can get pinkeye.
The good news is that pinkeye is a minor infection and although it might look bad, it's not usually serious.
What Causes Pinkeye?
Pinkeye is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the white part of the eye and the inner eyelids. The condition can be either infectious (it can spread to other people) or noninfectious.
When people talk about pinkeye, they usually mean the infectious kind. It's often caused by the same bacteria and viruses responsible for colds and other infections, including ear infections, sinus infections, and sore throats.
It's also possible for the same types of bacteria that cause the sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) chlamydia and gonorrhea to cause conjunctivitis. If someone touches an infected person's genitals and then rubs his or her own eye or touches a contact lens, the infection can spread to the eye.
Some kinds of pinkeye are noninfectious, such as:
- allergic conjunctivitis, caused by an allergic reaction
- irritant conjunctivitis, caused by anything that irritates the eyes, such as air pollution or chlorine in pools
What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Pinkeye?
The very pink or red coloring that gives the infection its nickname is a telltale sign of pinkeye. It's also usual to have discomfort in the eye, which may feel itchy or gritty. Often, there's some discharge from the eye, and pain and swelling of the conjunctiva. Pinkeye can affect one or both eyes.
It can be hard to tell whether the infection is caused by a virus or bacteria. In general, the discharge associated with viral conjunctivitis is watery, whereas it will be thicker and more pus-like when the infection is caused by bacteria.
When you wake up in the morning, your eyelids may be stuck together (don't be alarmed, though — cleaning your eyes with a warm washcloth will loosen the dried crusts).
Itchiness and tearing are common with allergic conjunctivitis.
Is Pinkeye Contagious?
Yes, if it's caused by bacteria or a virus. Pinkeye that's caused by bacteria can spread to others as soon as symptoms appear and for as long as there's discharge from the eye — or until 24 hours after antibiotics are started. Conjunctivitis that's caused by a virus is generally contagious before symptoms appear and can remain so as long as the symptoms last.
Allergic conjunctivitis and irritant conjunctivitis are not contagious.
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How Is Pinkeye Treated?
Because it can be hard to tell which kind of conjunctivitis a person has, it's wise to visit a doctor if your eyes are red and irritated.
Bacterial conjunctivitis is usually treated with prescription antibiotic drops or ointment. Drops — the form of treatment most commonly prescribed for teens — are used up to four times a day.
They don't hurt, although they may cause a brief stinging sensation. Even though your eyes should feel and look better after a couple of days, it's important to use the drops for as long as the doctor has prescribed. The infection may come back if you stop too soon.
If a virus is causing conjunctivitis, antibiotic drops will not help. The eye infection will get better on its own as the body fights off the virus.
If you have allergic conjunctivitis, your doctor may prescribe anti-allergy eyedrops or medicine in pill form.
Can Pinkeye Be Prevented?
Because infectious conjunctivitis is highly contagious, wash your hands after interacting with anyone who has the infection. Don't share potentially infected items like washcloths, towels, gauze, or cotton balls. This can be difficult among family members, so just do the best you can.
If you have pinkeye, it's important to wash your hands often, especially after touching your eyes. The infection can easily spread from one eye to the other on contaminated hands or tissues.
It's also wise not to share cosmetics, especially eye makeup. Bacteria can hang out on beauty products, so avoid using the testers at makeup counters directly on your eyes. And if you've already had a bout of pinkeye, throw away all your eye makeup and splurge on new stuff (but don't start using your new products until the infection is completely gone).
If you wear contact lenses and you have pinkeye, your doctor or eye doctor may recommend that you not wear contact lenses while infected. After the infection is gone, clean your lenses carefully. Be sure to disinfect the lenses and case at least twice before wearing them again. If you wear disposable contact lenses, throw away your current pair and use a new pair.
If you know that you're prone to allergic conjunctivitis, limit allergy triggers in the home by keeping windows and doors closed on days when pollen is heavy and by not letting dust accumulate. Irritant conjunctivitis can only be prevented by avoiding the irritating causes.
How Can I Feel Better?
Placing cool or warm packs or washcloths over the infected eye (or eyes) can help. You can also take acetaminophen, if necessary. Clean the infected eye carefully with warm water and fresh, clean gauze or cotton balls.
Keep track of your symptoms, keep your hands clean, visit your doctor as needed, and follow your treatment instructions carefully. Within a week, your eyes should be feeling better.
Pinkeye (Conjunctivitis) (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth
What Is Pinkeye?
The eye infection conjunctivitis (kun-junk-tih-VY-tus) — often called pinkeye — is common in young kids. It's usually contagious, and breakouts can sweep through preschools and playgrounds. But even teens and adults can get pinkeye.
Pinkeye is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the white part of the eye and the inner eyelids. It's a minor infection and although it might look bad, usually isn't serious.
Still, if your child shows signs of pinkeye, it's important to see a doctor.
Some kinds of pinkeye go away on their own, but others need treatment.
What Causes Pinkeye?
Infectious pinkeye (the kind that can spread to others) can be caused by many of the bacteria and viruses responsible for colds and other infections — including ear infections, sinus infections, and sore throats. Sometimes it's caused by the same types of bacteria that cause chlamydia and gonorrhea, two sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Some kinds of pinkeye are noninfectious, such as:
- allergic conjunctivitis, which happens more often in kids with other allergic conditions, like hay fever. Triggers include grass, ragweed pollen, animal dander, and dust mites.
- irritant conjunctivitis, caused by anything that irritates the eyes, such as air pollution or chlorine in pools
Pinkeye in Newborns
Newborns are at risk for pinkeye and can develop serious health problems if it's not treated. If a pregnant woman has an STD, during delivery the bacteria or virus can pass from the birth canal into the baby's eyes, causing pinkeye.
To prevent this, doctors give antibiotic ointment or eye drops to all babies right after birth. Occasionally, this treatment causes a mild chemical conjunctivitis, which usually clears up on its own. Doctors also can screen pregnant women for STDs and treat them during pregnancy to prevent spreading the infection to the baby.
What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Pinkeye?
Besides the telltale red or pink color that gives pinkeye its name, eye discomfort is a common symptom. Kids might say that it feels like there's sand in the eye. Often, there's some discharge from the eye, and pain and swelling of the conjunctiva. Some kids have swollen eyelids or sensitivity to bright light. Pinkeye can affect one or both eyes.
In cases of allergic conjunctivitis, itchiness and watery eyes are common symptoms.
Is Pinkeye Contagious?
Pinkeye is contagious if it's caused by bacteria or a virus:
- Pinkeye that's caused by bacteria can spread to others as soon as symptoms appear and for as long as there's discharge from the eye — or until 24 hours after antibiotics are started.
- Pinkeye that's caused by a virus is generally contagious before symptoms appear and can remain so as long as the symptoms last.
Allergic conjunctivitis and irritant conjunctivitis are not contagious.
A child can get pinkeye by touching an infected person or something an infected person has touched, such as a used tissue. In the summertime, pinkeye can spread when kids swim in contaminated water or share contaminated towels. It also can spread through coughing and sneezing.
Also, someone who has pinkeye in one eye can spread it to the other eye by rubbing or touching the infected eye, then touching the other eye.
How Is Pinkeye Diagnosed?
If you think your child has pinkeye, it's important to see your health care provider to learn what's causing it and how to treat it. Other serious eye conditions can have similar symptoms, so a child who complains of severe pain, changes in eyesight, swelling around the eyes, or sensitivity to light should be examined.
If you can't get an in-person visit, you might be able to do a "video visit" instead. Telehealth — when patients and health care providers use technology for the remote diagnosis and treatment of some health conditions — is becoming more and more popular. Ask your health care provider if his or her practice participates in telemedicine, and check with your insurance provider to see if this option is covered.
How Is Pinkeye Treated?
Pinkeye caused by a virus usually goes away without any treatment. Pinkeye caused by bacteria is treated with antibiotic eye drops or ointment.
It can be hard to get kids to tolerate eye drops several times a day. If you're having trouble, put the drops on the inner corner of your child's closed eye — when your child opens the eye, the medicine will flow into it. If you still have trouble with drops, ask the doctor about antibiotic ointment, which can be placed in a thin layer where the eyelids meet, and will melt and enter the eye.
If your child has allergic conjunctivitis, your doctor may prescribe anti-allergy medicine, either as pills, liquid, or eye drops.
You also can give acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve discomfort (check instructions for correct amount).
How Can Parents Help?
Using cool or warm compresses on the eyes may make your child more comfortable. Clean the edges of the infected eye carefully with warm water and gauze or cotton balls. This can also remove the crusts of dried discharge that make the eyelids stick together in the morning.
If your child wears contact lenses, your doctor or eye doctor may recommend that the lenses not be worn until the infection is gone. Then, disinfect the lenses and their storage case at least twice before letting your child wear them again. If your child wears disposable contact lenses, throw away the current pair and use a new pair after the infection is gone.
Doctors usually recommend keeping kids with contagious conjunctivitis out of school, childcare, or summer camp for a short time.
Can Pinkeye Be Prevented?
Infectious conjunctivitis is highly contagious, so teach kids to wash their hands well and often with warm water and soap. They also should not share eye drops, tissues, eye makeup, washcloths, towels, or pillowcases.
Be sure to wash your own hands well after touching an infected child's eyes, and throw away items like gauze or cotton balls after they've been used. Wash towels and other linens that the child has used in hot water separately from the rest of the family's laundry to avoid contamination.
If you know your child is prone to allergic conjunctivitis, keep windows and doors closed on days when the pollen is heavy, and dust and vacuum often to limit allergy triggers. Irritant conjunctivitis can only be prevented by avoiding the irritating causes.
Screening and treating pregnant women for STDs can prevent many cases of pinkeye in newborns. A pregnant woman may have bacteria in her birth canal even if she shows no symptoms, which is why prenatal screening is important.
When Should I Call the Doctor?
If the pinkeye does not improve after 2 to 3 days of treatment, or after a week if untreated, call your doctor.
If your child has increased swelling, redness, and tenderness in the eyelids and around the eye, along with a fever, call your doctor. Those symptoms may mean the infection has started to spread beyond the conjunctiva and will need more treatment.
Reviewed by: Rachel S. Schare, MD
Date reviewed: November 2020
How long is conjunctivitis contagious? Do drops for treatment help?
From All About Vision
If you have conjunctivitis caused by a virus or bacteria, it can remain contagious for days to weeks from the time symptoms start (red, itchy eyes, watery eyes, possibly accompanied by discharge from the eyes).
School and kindergarten health regulations often require that a child diagnosed with conjunctivitis stay at home until fully recovered. This is the correct position, since infectious conjunctivitis can be highly contagious in environments where children are in close contact with each other.
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But determining how long conjunctivitis is contagious and how long you or your child should stay at home can be tricky. In general, if there are no more obvious symptoms of conjunctivitis - usually after three to seven days - you can safely return to work, take your child to school or kindergarten.
No symptoms means that there is no yellowish discharge from the eyes, nor is it present on the eyelashes and at the corners of the eyes. In addition, the redness of the white of the eye should disappear. nine0003
Treatments for infectious conjunctivitis
Topical antibiotic ointments and eye drops are only effective in treating conjunctivitis if it is caused by bacteria. It takes up to 24 hours for the eye drops or ointment to start working and for conjunctivitis to stop being contagious.
If conjunctivitis is caused by a virus, then no specific treatment will be helpful, the infection just has to go away. However, although there is no effective treatment for viral conjunctivitis, symptoms can be relieved with eye drops that help reduce irritation. nine0003
If you have allergic conjunctivitis in the eyes, this form is not contagious. But in order to find out what type of conjunctivitis you or your child has, you should consult an optometrist.
If the redness of the eyes is due to an allergic reaction, eye drops containing antihistamines may help relieve symptoms. Cold compresses may also help.
Risk of getting conjunctivitis
It's hard to know exactly how long conjunctivitis is contagious if you don't know the cause. nine0003
For example, the rubella virus that causes measles and concomitant symptoms of conjunctivitis is highly contagious, often for two or more weeks.
You may also be at risk of contracting conjunctivitis from exposure to certain adenoviruses found in aquatic environments, such as untreated pool water. This is a good reason to wear goggles or a swimming mask that prevents water from getting into your eyes.
You or your child can also become infected with bacteria and viruses in the environment, for example through contact with a contaminated towel or kitchen table. nine0003
The risk of exposure to environmental factors may persist for several weeks if contaminated items are not cleaned and disinfected. Therefore, in the case of infectious conjunctivitis, even if you are already cured, it is better to throw away things like old mascara and other eye makeup.
If you are undergoing treatment but do not notice any improvement and the symptoms of conjunctivitis do not go away after about 10 days, contact your eye doctor.
Page published on Monday, November 16, 2020
Conjunctivitis
The topic of eye health is very relevant now, because outbreaks of conjunctivitis are more often observed during the rainy season.
What is conjunctivitis? And what are the reasons for its occurrence?
Dr. Bundit Leethanaporn, ophthalmologist at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, explains that the condition is an inflammation of the conjunctiva (the connective tissue of the eye). The most common causes of conjunctivitis are viruses and bacteria that are all around us. nine0003
Viral conjunctivitis
Viral conjunctivitis, like any viral disease, is very easily transmitted to a person through direct contact: by exchanging objects, coughing or breathing. The disease will appear within the first two days after infection. After the conjunctiva turns red, the virus becomes active to infect others for the next 2 weeks. Symptoms of the disease: sudden redness, irritation of the eyes, increased sensitivity to light, tearing and swelling. Conjunctivitis can affect only one eye, but after 2-3 days the virus will get into the second. nine0003
In some cases, conjunctivitis is accompanied by complications, such as keratitis, which causes blurred vision or irritation. Symptoms will appear within 7-10 days after conjunctivitis is diagnosed. Keratitis can last for up to a month if the person does not receive proper treatment.
Different forms of conjunctivitis require different treatment.
- If the conjunctiva is inflamed, the ophthalmologist will recommend using eye drops to relieve this symptom.
- Clean the eyelids with cotton swabs moistened with clean water. Wearing sunglasses is recommended to reduce irritation from the light. Avoid using a patch on an infected eye as this will only aggravate the inflammation. Try not to wear contact lenses until the problem is completely fixed. Give your eyes a rest.
Ways to protect and control the spread of the virus:
- The infected patient must be isolated. Those who are sick must stay at home to stop the spread of the virus.
- Do not touch or rub the inflamed eye, the virus can be transmitted through hand towels or clothing, be sure to cover your mouth when coughing.
- Wash your hands with soap and keep your hands clean at all times.
Bacterial conjunctivitis has similar symptoms: redness, irritation of the eyes, pain, and possibly a thick yellow discharge that makes the eyelids stick together.
