Pink and Goopy...

Kids and pink eye are pretty synonymous right?  It's pretty easy for mom's to spot.  Pink and goopy is never a good thing.  This week Em got her seasonal dose of pink eye.  We've been getting back into all our preschool social activities (story time, MOPS, dance) so I had a feeling something would come up.  So when she woke up the other day pink and goopy I wasn't altogether surprised.  So with a call to the pediatrician, we are now using eye drops.

Pink eye is conjunctivitis, inflammation of the membranes of the eyes.  It causes blurry vision, eye pain, redness, drainage and itchiness.  Pink eye is contagious, spread by touching the eyes and then other things.  Because of the itchiness, kids want to constantly touch their eyes while playing making it even easier to spread. 

So what can mom's do once pink eye shows up?  Make a visit to your pediatrician first so he can check out your kids eyes.  Eye drops are usually prescribed at that point and will improve the eyes fast.  At home in addition to giving the eye drops, there are things that can be done around the home to keep the spread of germs down.  Wash pillow cases, sheets, blankies, lovies, towels and anything else that has come into contact with little pink eyes.  Clean surfaces and toys with anti-bacterial wipes.  Try to keep fingers out of the affected eyes, but wash them when they do (because they will) make their way to their eyes.  Keep kids at home for at least 24 hours of eye drops.  After 24 hours, they are no longer contagious, and can go out and play.