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conjunctivitis eye precautions
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Eye & Vision Disorders
Question #19232
63 days ago
101

conjunctivitis eye precautions - #19232

Khushi

I am really worried about this pink eye situation! Around a week ago, I noticed my left eye was getting super red and itchy. I initially thought it was just an allergy or something, but then it started getting gooey, ugh! I went to my family doctor and they said it was conjunctivitis. They didn’t really give me a lot of info about conjunctivitis eye precautions tho, just kinda rushed me out with some drops. Anyway, I’m still not sure what specific conjunctivitis eye precautions I should be taking at home to avoid spreading it or making it worse. I've read online that washing hands frequently is crucial, but what else? Should I be throwing away my makeup or just my mascara? Can I still wear contacts? I dunno if I’m overthinking this but the thought of other people catching it from me really freaks me out. And how long do I have to do these conjunctivitis eye precautions before it’s safe to say I’m not contagious anymore? What if this happens again in the future? Any tips would be super helpful, ‘cause I’m honestly kinda lost here.

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Doctors' responses

Conjunctivitis, often called pink eye, is indeed tricky, and your concerns are spot on, especially about preventing spread and managing the symptoms. One of the first things is definitely sticking to good hygiene—frequent and thorough handwashing is key. Beyond that, be cautious with your eye makeup; it’s usually safest to toss any you’ve used since the infection started to avoid recontamination. It’s a good idea to ditch mascara and anything else applied near the eyes. About your contacts; it’s best to avoid wearing them until the infection clears up to reduce irritation and lower the risk of lingering germs. If they’re disposable, they should be replaced after the infection. Also, keep an eye on your towels, pillowcases, and other things that might touch your face—changing these frequently can help minimize spread. Avoid touching or rubbing your eyes, even though it’s tempting, to keep from worsening the irritation or spreading the infection. When it comes to being contagious, it generally lasts while symptoms are active, typically 7 to 14 days, or until you’ve been on antibiotic drops for 24 hours if it’s bacterial (it often isn’t). So just keep vigilant with precautions during this period. If you find yourself dealing with conjunctivitis again or it’s persisting longer than expected, seeing your doctor for further evaluation might be necessary, as sometimes the cause can be allergic or irritant-based, in which case identifying triggers is important for prevention.

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