Pink Eye

[Sun Tzu]

Yesterday morning I woke up with a cat hair in my eye (this happens 3-4 times per week...fucking cat). Sometimes I get the hair out right away, sometimes it takes me 5 minutes just to find it, and another 5 minutes to actually get it out. Yesterday was the 5+5 variety, and my eye was pretty red afterwards.

So...fast forward about 3-4 hours, and I notice my vision is a bit blurry. No big deal, sometimes that happens. I blink hard and it goes away. Great!

Fast forward another 3-4 hours, and someone tells me "hey, your eye is really red." Weird...so I run down to Walgreens, grab some single-use eye drops, go into the bathroom at my office, put in some eye drops, and booyah...mucus starts flowing out of my eye.

Gross.

I do what no one should ever do, and that is go onto the internet after finding something weird happening to their body. Naturally, I come to the conclusion that I have Cancer, HIV, Swine Flu, and the Black Plague. I make an appointment to see the Doc in a couple hours, head in, and she tells me that I have bacterial Pink Eye. She checks me out with her little flashlight magnifyer thing (I had just gotten over very mild sinus infection) and says I look fine. She rules out the possibility of the sinus infection having led to this one, gives me a prescription for eye drops, and sends me on my way.

I'm about 16 hours into my antibiotic treatment, and wow...this stuff works really well.

Anyways, the primary purpose of this thread was to ask if anyone else had experienced the disgustingness that is (aptly named) Conjunctivitis. How long did it take to clear up? Do you have any tips that you found worked well? Did you do anything bad that you felt prolonged the symptoms?

XOXO

[cartman]

I caught it from Scott Baio

[Sun Tzu]

Originally Posted by cartman

I caught it from Scott Baio

Ah yes, that reminds me. There are two types of Pink Eye: Viral, and Bacterial. Viral is the ridiculously contagious kind that spreads like wildfire in Elementary School. Bacterial isn't contagious unless someone sticks their finger in your eye, and then touches their own eye. I have the latter.

[Scoobz0202]

I had bacterial a couple years ago and received eye drops and some Z Pak and was cleared up in a day or two.

Worse part was waking up with your eye glued shut from the gunk.

[TroyF]

I went 30+ years without ever getting it and then got it 2 times in a 3 year period.

I have no idea how I acquired it either time. The first time I had no idea what it was. I called my dad and told him my eye was oozing puss and felt like it was sunburned. He told me to stay put, got some pink eye meds from the store. The next time I knew what it was before it hit full blown.

First time took about 4 days to get over (longer for the irritation) Second time was done in about 2 to 3 days because I caught it early.

Hated the experience. Hope I never get it a third time.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Ah yes, that reminds me. There are two types of Pink Eye: Viral, and Bacterial. Viral is the ridiculously contagious kind that spreads like wildfire in Elementary School. Bacterial isn't contagious unless someone sticks their finger in your eye, and then touches their own eye. I have the latter.

Most co workers won't believe the second. I had the ability to work from home when I had mine. I don't know which I had, but the couple of times I went out with it, people steered very clear.

[Sun Tzu]

Scoobz - Interesting that they gave you oral meds, too. Did they say there was a possibility of a secondary infection? I specifically asked the doctor about pairing the drops with an oral med, and she scoffed like "Oh, no. I wouldn't give you an oral med, too!"

TroyF - Yeah. Several people are keeping their distance, and quite frankly, I don't blame them. My eye looks like someone spit on it after hauking a loogie for 30 minutes. Well, that's not true. It looked like that last night. Right now it just looks really red. The puss is actually almost non-existent already. Amazing what antibiotics can do now.

And lastly...yes. I woke up this morning with my eye completely crusted shut. I slept in a different room than my Wife and 6 month old daughter, just in case. It was quite difficult navigating my way around a room that I've never slept in, in the dark, with only one eye.

[Lathum]

Tell the cat to stop farting on your pillow.

[PilotMan]

We've got kids. They get it you get it kind of thing. We got so good at diagnosing it that we could just call the Dr to get the prescription and head straight to the pharmacy. It sucks.

[Logan]

You sure it wasn't Botox gone bad?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Tell the cat to stop farting on your pillow.

+1

[DanGarion]

Don't touch poop and then touch your eye.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

I do what no one should ever do, and that is go onto the internet after finding something weird happening to their body. Naturally, I come to the conclusion that I have Cancer, HIV, Swine Flu, and the Black Plague.

True

SI

[Sun Tzu]

Well for the love of cat farts. My left eye is infected, too.

[Andreh]

Viral ones usually goes by painfully.
My last one was bacterial, serious redness, river of mucus, took 7-8 days.
End up spreading to my wife and one son, but thankfully theirs were mild, and started the drops right away.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

Well for the love of cat farts. My left eye is infected, too.

You should probably wash your pillowcases. And possibly get a dog.

[tarcone]

I have the viral kind right now. Went through a whole bottle of prescription eye drops and I still have an ulcer on my eye. Its been about 3 weeks or so. Going tot he eye doctor friday for a 2nd opinion.
Yay.

[Sun Tzu]

An ulcer on your eye? That sounds...uncomfortable.

Best of luck.

[terpkristin]

I wear contacts and though I wash my hands regularly (including before touching my contacts to put them in or take them out), I get pink eye every now and then. It's a bitch every time I do. I have to dump those contacts, wear glasses (that in and of itself is annoying) and I get drops and/or antibiotics ASAP. I have no patience for that stuff. Usually it clears up quickly, though once I ended up getting an inflamed cornea to go with the pink eye. THAT was awful. Any exposure to even moderate light made things hurt so much that I would almost pass out or throw up.

/tk

[tarcone]

Mine isnt pink eye. I have skin growing on my eye. The doctor had a name for it. pytergium or something along those lines.
It became irritated. I have to use artificial tears regularly.
My eyes are a mess.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by tarcone

Mine isnt pink eye. I have skin growing on my eye.

I think you need a moil, not a doctor.