Does your child have red, itchy, or watery eyes? It could be pink eye. Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, occurs when the eyelid and eyeball membranes become inflamed. Your child’s eyelids may appear puffy or swollen. Pink eye is usually viral but can also be bacterial or caused by allergies.

What type of pink eye is it?

Viral conjunctivitis can cause eyes to appear swollen, with watery discharge or watering eyes that are sensitive to light. It may only affect one eye. It can also start in one eye and spread to the other within 48 hours. If your child has cold symptoms, such as runny nose and cough, they may have viral conjunctivitis, which can be self-resolving.

Bacterial conjunctivitis can cause eyes to become red or pink, itchy, and painful. There will be more than a tiny amount of green, yellow, or white discharge. Eyes may be crusted shut in the morning. It can affect one or both eyes.

Eye irritation due to allergies usually presents as itching, tearing, and redness in both eyes. It is often accompanied by an allergic trigger, such as animal dander, pollen, or dust. Symptoms can occur immediately after exposure or hours to days after. Eye irritation due to allergies is not contagious.

Home care and prevention for pink eye

To treat pink eye at home, you can use warm compresses to remove drainage from the eye when it appears. Be sure to use good hand hygiene, and have your child wash their hands frequently, especially after touching their eyes.

Avoid having your child touch their eyes if possible.
Do not share towels or facecloths, and change your child’s pillowcase frequently.
If your child wears contacts, have them wear glasses until the symptoms fully resolve.
Most cases of pink eye resolve within 5-6 days with no treatment.

Call your pediatrician if your child’s eyes are red, swollen, painful, itchy, or have yellow or green drainage. Also call if ear pain is present or suspected, if fevers are present, or if symptoms are not starting to improve within 3 days.

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This article was written by Katie Taibl, BSN, RN, CPN. Katie has over nine years of pediatric experience, with a background in travel nursing and clinical writing. As Roslindale Pediatric Associates’ Patient Outreach Educator, she writes articles on relevant pediatric health topics to help RPA patients and their families access user-friendly health content.