I wear contact lenses and have just been diagnosed with a pink eye. What should I do?

Pink eye is either due to a bacteria or a virus. The infection is also known as conjunctivitis. 


In general, when you have a pink eye you can not wear contact lenses and will have to wait until your infection clears. The disposable contact lenses must be thrown away but the non disposable lenses can be disinfected. 


You must discard all the old supplies of your contact lenses including the solution and the containers. In most cases, doctors recommend not wearing contact lenses for at least 3-4 weeks after an episode of conjunctivitis. This also applies to allergic conjunctivitis.

My daughter has been told that she has a pink eye. How long is this infection contagious?

Pink eye is also known as conjunctivitis and can be caused by either a bacteria or a virus. 


All children who have a pink eye are contagious as long as the symptoms of excessive tearing and redness are present. In most cases, with treatment the symptoms of a pink eye last 3-6 days. Once there is no more tearing the child can return back to school. 


However, if the pink eye was due to a bacterial infection it is important to continue the antibiotic as recommended. Frequent hand washing and good eye hygiene are essential in preventing transmission of this infection to others

My son has been told that he has a viral conjunctivitis, how should I treat it?

Viral conjunctivitis requires no treatment. Viruses do not respond to antibiotics. 


The viral conjunctivitis usually last 2-3 weeks and resolves on its own. In most cases, only one eye is initially affected and then the other eye gets involved in a 2-3 days. 


Anti viral drugs are rarely used to treat viral conjunctivitis that is prolonged or not resolving after 3 weeks. Do remember that viral conjunctivitis is contagious and thus you should wash hands frequently and avoid sharing personal care items with other members of the family.

How does one treat bacterial “pink” eye (Conjunctivitis)?

Unlike a viral infection a bacterial conjunctivitis or pink eye, does require treatment. 


The standard treatment is prescription antibiotic drops which have to be applied several times a day. In most cases, the conjunctivitis resolves in a few days.  


Besides eye drops there are also eye ointments for conjunctivitis. Children hate eye drops and thus an eye ointment may be preferable. The only downside to an ointment is that the stuff is gooey and blurs vision temporarily


You must complete the course of antibiotics as set out by your doctor. In the meantime, wash hands frequently and maintain good eye hygiene.