Pink eye?

[mackmama]

DC is 4yo and has had a cold for past week with a lot of nasal drainage. I just noticed the inner corner of DC's left eye looks red and is a little crusty. Nothing major. Is this pink eye, and what do I do about it? Of course I noticed this when we are madly cleaning for our open house that starts in a couple hours.

[MommyAllison]

That happens sometimes with colds for us, and it hasn't been pink eye. Just some drainage that is irritating the eye. I take a cotton ball or cotton round, wet it with warm water, and hold it against the closed eye for awhile. It seems to soothe and clean, and the eye has always been better within 24 hours.

[mackmama]

Great thank you!

[PZMommy]

My boys get that kind of pink eye when they get a cold. It is not the type that is contagious or requires eye drops. It usually clears up in a day or so.

[mackmama]

Ok thank you!

[mackmama]

Both eyes now have some dried crust on them in the mornings (yesterday and this morning). At times DC says the eyes are a little itchy and hurt a little. Eyes a little red but not overly. Should I take DC in at this point or let it ride a bit more? DC has a pretty good cold going - massive nasal discharge yellow/green. No fever, playing, etc. Just very congested nasally. I wouldn't take DC in just for the nose stuff, just thinking about it re the eye crustiness. Thoughts? The cold has been going on for about 4-5 days.

[PZMommy]

My only concern would be a sinus or ear infection. Otherwise it sounds like the eyes are related to the cold she has.

[vludmilla]

Dd has had this with her colds and it was never pink eye.

[marymoo86]

Both eyes now have some dried crust on them in the mornings (yesterday and this morning). At times DC says the eyes are a little itchy and hurt a little. Eyes a little red but not overly. Should I take DC in at this point or let it ride a bit more? DC has a pretty good cold going - massive nasal discharge yellow/green. No fever, playing, etc. Just very congested nasally. I wouldn't take DC in just for the nose stuff, just thinking about it re the eye crustiness. Thoughts? The cold has been going on for about 4-5 days.

Just sounds like allergy pink eye to me. The girls would get this. I would treat them with BM since still nursing the little and would go away in a day or so.

Perhaps try an eye drop like Similasan? Keep the saline going to flush out the nasal stuff and that should help as well - not sure if you are able to or want OTC meds like antihistamines.

[mackmama]

Just sounds like allergy pink eye to me. The girls would get this. I would treat them with BM since still nursing the little and would go away in a day or so.

Perhaps try an eye drop like Similasan? Keep the saline going to flush out the nasal stuff and that should help as well - not sure if you are able to or want OTC meds like antihistamines.

Would using benadryl at night be a good idea? Or could that impact the nasal congestion and increase odds of a sinus infection?

[marymoo86]

Sorry no help - haven't used it but have read kids could react by becoming hyper so would be hesitant to use at night.

[gcc2k]

I recently had a cold with what I thought was pinkeye: slightly crusted over in the morning, reddish, a little itchy , tender and swollen. When I called my doctor friend to get a quick Rx, he explained there are 2 kinds of pinkeye: viral and bacterial. The bacterial kind requires drops and is associated with copious eye drainage. The kind you have to be wiping away several times a day while you're AWAKE. I hardly had daytime drainage, so mine was viral and it cleared up in a few days on its own.

[daisysmom]

I recently had a cold with what I thought was pinkeye: slightly crusted over in the morning, reddish, a little itchy , tender and swollen. When I called my doctor friend to get a quick Rx, he explained there are 2 kinds of pinkeye: viral and bacterial. The bacterial kind requires drops and is associated with copious eye drainage. The kind you have to be wiping away several times a day while you're AWAKE. I hardly had daytime drainage, so mine was viral and it cleared up in a few days on its own.

This is exactly what our pediatrician has said too. Dd will get pink eye during a cold where the eye ball's white will be fairly pink but do drainage. This is classic viral and is not contagious and doesn't need drops. The mucous from the eye, I was told, is usually bacterial and needs drops.