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gw_oakley

Tell me what you know about Pink Eye

14 years ago

Our family is having a major (but fun) discussion about where our pink eye orginated. I've looked on the web and there really is no definitive answer. Several suggestions are:

allergies

bacterial/viral

smoke

dryness which causes dry eyes

Highly contagious

Here's what's going on. Two weeks ago the grandkids stayed with me and dh for the day while their parents went out on a date. We lit our first fire in the FP that morning. It's a big FP so of course there's going to be a tad bit of smoke but nothing really noticeable.

When GS left, his eyes were starting to get goopy. Next day he had pink eye.

A week later, dh lit another fire, but forgot to open the flue. lol. Lots of smoke in the house.

A couple of days later dh came down with pink eye.

Tonight my right eye is gooping and tearing up. That doesn't mean I have it though since I do have allergies.

Our son said GS got pink eye at our house. I called b.s. on that. lol. DH thinks we got it from our dog, Boone. He loves going to the pasture and eating cow pies. :) When dh stopped to talk to the neighbor the other day our neighbor said, "Yep, dogs will give you pink eye from eating cow pies." Again, I called b.s. on that. But cattle DO get pinkeye though. So do dogs, but Boone doesn't have it.

If Boone IS a carrier, then why haven't we gotten it before? I rub him constantly, I kiss his cheeks constantly and if I'm sleeping he sneaks up on me and gives me a gentle kiss with his tongue. :)

GS does not go to a daycare, he's with a private babysitter so he didn't get it from other kids. My gut tells me both guys got it from the FP, and now I'm coming down with it.

BUT...I couldn't find out how long one catches pink eye after being exposed. I can see DH getting it a week later, and now a week later my eye is messing up. But for GS to be exposed at our house that day and leave 5 hours later with pink eye? Nah.

Thoughts?

Comments (8)

  • 14 years ago

    If it's goopy and has the yellow or green gunk, that is usually an indication of a bacterial infection. Just red & irritated is more so related to a viral. Both are highly contagious and can remain so up to 12 days. It can last up to 3 weeks...just like a cold. It usually takes a couple days for the symptoms to show up.

    It could be spread by a sneeze, hand to hand contact, touching something that has the germs on it...just like with a cold. Very possible GS got it by just being exposed to the virus' that are out there this time of year. Your DH caught it from GS and you from DH.

  • 14 years ago

    Everytime I've had it, it was bacterial and needed antibiotics to clear. Bacterial form is contagious, and like every contagion has a gestation period as it passes from host to host. It's not always a systemic contagion, so you can get it in just one eye, both eyes, or one eye and then days later the other eye. My bet would be that GS had already been exposed to the contagion prior to visiting, and then passed the contagion to your DH, who then passed it to you. Some forms are hardy enough outside of a host for a short time that you can catch it from touching something that an infected person touched after rubbing their eye, like a shopping cart handle, and then when you rub your eye it's got it's new host. The smoky fireplace likely was involved just by inspiring your DH to rub his eyes after touching something your GS touched after rubbing his eyes, thereby picking up the contagion.

    Just a side note - if you wear contact lenses, toss out the pair you were wearing when your eye started getting goopy/itchy/sore, so that you don't get a recurrence after this episode is cleared - some forms of the bacteria can survive the disinfecting solutions, too.

  • 14 years ago

    Conjunctivitis can be caused by something getting in the eye that irritates it. DGS came down with it week 2 when he got an eyelash in his eye/on his eye. One eye had some discharge, but never crusty. Treatment for it was an eye cream for a few weeks. Neither DD2 or I got it. (fyi, it wasn't neonatal conjunctivitis.)

    Conjunctivitis does not have to be "pink eye," when one or both eyes are red, etc.

    It can be viral, bacterial, allergic, chemical or neonatal.

  • 14 years ago

    So you all don't think the dog gave it to us? My dh's eyes crusted in the morning (I know, gross, lol) but he was put on new drops today and he thinks it's getting better. He has to take drops every 2 hours on day one. Then 4 x day afterwards.

    Allison, my GS had drops first, then cream afterwards. His cleared up in a matter of a week!

  • 14 years ago

    I'm getting over it AGAIN as I type this. I just had it a few weeks ago. I have to use drops from the Dr. but then it clears up fast.

    As mentioned above it can be bacterial, viral, etc. I actually thought I had a huge scratch in my eye this time. In the past, I've only every experienced the red eyes and crusting.

    I've always tossed my contacts and mascara and disinfected everything else. This time, the Dr. told me to get rid of everything. Somehow I got it back and I actually think it was from my eyeshadows. Washed towels, sheets, disinfected the house, tossed the contacts, cases, mascaras, 5 eye makeup brushes, and 17 eyeshadows. I've had it with pink eye.

    I wish you all a speedy recovery. It's no fun and literally a pain in the ...eye. :(

  • 14 years ago

    Oh no, Shee!! I never would have thought you could get it from your makeup after having it once. Not only painful, but expensive!

    Still not sure if I have it. The right eye is watering pretty good, but it's a thick water. No pain or redness. Hubby said it took a few days to really kick in.

    Good luck!

  • 14 years ago

    What I know is you need to see a doctor if you have symptoms. Watering doesn't sound like it - at least not the bacterial kind. You'll know by the discharge from the eye, usually itching and irritated. If it is bacterial, it is very contagious. My husband had it a few years back (we have no idea where he got it, we didn't know anyone who had it), and the doctor stressed to us about washing towels, sheets, etc. So Shee, you did good! Hope this is it this time!!

  • 14 years ago

    Dogs get conjunctivitis. People get conjunctivitis.But,according to my research--the bacteria and/or viruses (it can be either) that CAUSE conjuntivitis are species specific. So dogs cannot give people pink-eye. People cannot give dogs pink-eye.

    Your dog is not to blame--and the child in question was probably incubating when he came to visit. Unless it's allergic...and then it COULD be the dog if GS is allergic to dogs.