is eye flu contagious - #22031
I am really worried about this thing going around. My daughter woke up with red, swollen eyes, and she’s been complaining about itchiness. Plus, she’s had some discharge too! Took her to the doctor, and they said it might be pink eye, but I heard some people call it eye flu. So my question is, is eye flu contagious? I mean, like, should I keep her away from other kids at school? I'm just trying to figure things out here. If it is eye flu, I don’t want the rest of the family to catch it, you know? My son, he’s always all over her and like touching everything. Ugh! Would it spread if she, like, touched her face or something and then touched something else? Also, do I need to be super careful about washing her pillowcases and towels? I just hate the thought of everyone in the house getting it. I kinda feel helpless here, and I just wanna do the right thing. If eye flu is contagious, how long should we stay away from people? Is there anything else I can do to help her without making it worse? Please, any tips would be great!
100% Anonymously
No sign-up needed.

Doctors' responses
Eye flu, commonly referred to as viral conjunctivitis or more generally as “pink eye,” is indeed contagious. It’s caused by viruses, often adenoviruses, which can spread easily from person to person. Your concern about keeping your daughter away from school and others is valid. To prevent spreading it to family members and others, good hygiene practices are key. It’s contagious through direct contact with the infected person’s eye secretions or indirectly through contact with items they’ve touched, like door handles, shared towels, or even toys. Therefore, keeping her from close contact with siblings, especially if they’re likely to touch their face after being around her, can be a wise precaution.
It’s also important to make sure she washes her hands frequently and avoids touching her eyes. Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and washing pillowcases and towels in hot water can further help minimize the spread. Changing pillowcases frequently is a good practice. As for when she can go back to school, often the recommendation is to wait until the discharge has stopped and symptoms are improving, which can take a few days to a week. Monitor any worsening of symptoms or the development of fever, as these may indicate a need for further medical evaluation, especially to rule out a bacterial infection that might require antibiotics. To help with her symptoms, you can use a warm compress to soothe itchiness and clean away discharge with a gentle wipe. Your vigilance will help in controlling the spread.
100% Anonymously
Get expert answers anytime, completely confidential. No sign-up needed.
About our doctors
Only qualified doctors who have confirmed the availability of medical education and other certificates of medical practice consult on our service. You can check the qualification confirmation in the doctor's profile.