Taking Care of Pinkeye at Home

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Taking Care of Pinkeye at Home (00:01:30)
Video Transcript

Pinkeye can make your eye red, itchy, and crusty.

Taking care of it at home can help you feel better and can keep you from spreading it to your other eye, or to other people.

First, always wash your hands well before and after you touch your eye.

This will help keep the pinkeye germs from spreading.

Put a cold or warm cloth, whichever feels better, on your eye a few times a day to help with pain.

Use a clean cloth each time.

If your eye is crusty, use moist cotton or a damp cloth to wipe the crust away.

Wipe from the inside corner of the eye to the outside.

Use a clean part of the cloth for each wipe.

And be careful not to touch your other eye with the cloth.

Throw out any eye makeup you were using when you got the infection.

Toss out the contact lenses you were wearing, or sterilize them and their storage case.

Don't wear any contacts until at least 2 days after your symptoms are gone.

Don't share towels, pillows, or bed linens, and use clean ones every day until your eye has cleared up.

Pinkeye usually gets better in about a week.

See a doctor if eye pain and sensitivity to light get worse in the first 5 to 7 days, or if you have any symptoms that don't get better in 7 days.

Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff

Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

Current as of: July 31, 2024

Author: Ignite Healthwise, LLC Staff

Clinical Review Board
All Healthwise education is reviewed by a team that includes physicians, nurses, advanced practitioners, registered dieticians, and other healthcare professionals.

The Health Encyclopedia contains general health information. Not all treatments or services described are covered benefits for Kaiser Permanente members or offered as services by Kaiser Permanente. For a list of covered benefits, please refer to your Evidence of Coverage or Summary Plan Description. For recommended treatments, please consult with your health care provider.