Now Half the School Has Pink Eye.

Monday morning. One kid shows up to school with goopy, red eyes.

By Wednesday? Five more cases.

By Friday? The classroom looks like a zombie movie.

Welcome to pink eye season.

🦠 Why Pink Eye Spreads Like Wildfire

Pink eye (conjunctivitis) is insanely contagious. Here’s why:

• Kids touch everything – desks, toys, doorknobs, each other
• They rub their eyes constantly – spreading infected discharge on their hands
• They share stuff – pencils, water bottles, tablets, face paint
• Viral pink eye can live on surfaces for hours to days
• Symptoms can take 1-3 days to appear – they’re contagious before they look sick

One infected kid touches a keyboard. Another kid touches the same keyboard. Rubs their eye. Boom. Pink eye.

👀 What Pink Eye Actually Looks Like

Classic symptoms:

• 👁️ Red or pink appearance in the white of the eye
• 💧 Watery discharge (viral) or thick, goopy discharge (bacterial)
• 😫 Eyes crusted shut in the morning
• 😖 Itchy, gritty feeling
• 💦 Excessive tearing
• ☀️ Sensitivity to light

The Three Types of Pink Eye

1. Viral Pink Eye

Caused by:

Same viruses that cause colds. Often accompanies upper respiratory infections.

How to spot it:

• Watery, clear discharge
• Extremely itchy
• Usually starts in one eye, spreads to the other
• May have cold symptoms too

Treatment:

No antibiotics needed (it’s a virus). Runs its course in 7-14 days. We provide supportive care and rule out bacterial infection.

2. Bacterial Pink Eye

How to spot it:

• Thick, yellow or green discharge
• Eyes glued shut with crusty goop
• More pain than viral
• Can affect one or both eyes

Treatment:

Antibiotic eye drops. Usually clears up in 3-5 days with treatment.

3. Allergic Pink Eye

How to spot it:

• Both eyes affected at the same time
• Very itchy
• Watery discharge
• Other allergy symptoms (sneezing, runny nose)

Treatment:

Antihistamine eye drops, avoid allergens. Not contagious.

When to Come to Night Watch

Come in if:

• Eyes are red and goopy
• You need a school/work note (most require medical clearance)
• Thick, colored discharge (likely bacterial = needs antibiotics)
• Pain or vision changes
• Symptoms not improving after 3-4 days
• Child under 1 year old with pink eye

🧼 Stop the Spread

Pink eye is preventable. Here’s how to protect your family:

• Wash hands constantly – especially after touching eyes
• Don’t touch or rub eyes
• Don’t share towels, pillows, or makeup
• Change pillowcases daily during infection
• Disinfect surfaces – doorknobs, tablets, keyboards, phones
• Keep infected kids home until cleared by doctor
• Throw out old eye makeup after pink eye

What We Do at Night Watch

• Examine eyes to determine type of pink eye
• Prescribe antibiotic drops if bacterial
• Provide symptom relief recommendations
• Write school/work clearance notes
• Educate on preventing spread to family members

⏰ When Can They Go Back?

Bacterial pink eye: 24 hours after starting antibiotic drops

Viral pink eye: When discharge is gone and eyes are no longer red

Allergic pink eye: Can return immediately (not contagious)

👁️ Pink eye spreads fast. Treatment is easy. Get it diagnosed. Get it treated. Get back to life.