Bacterial pink eye stops being contagious 24 hours after you begin using antibiotic drops.
If you don’t use drops, it continues to be contagious until your symptoms go away.
If your pink eye is sparked by a virus, antibacterial drops will not help.
Verywell / Ellen Lindner
You will be contagious until you no longer have discharge from your eye.
Pink eye is also known asconjunctivitis.
It can affect one or both eyes.
Although pink eye has many different causes, only bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are contagious.
This article discusses the different types of pink eye and how contagious they are.
It also goes over the treatment options for the different types of pink eye.
Is Pink Eye Contagious?
Pink eye can have various causes, and not all types of pink eye are contagious.
A comprehensiveeye examcan diagnose the problem and diagnose the pop in of conjunctivitis.
Your optometrist orophthalmologistcan then determine the proper treatment.
Should I stay home with pink eye?
Bacterial pink eye is highly contagious.
Pregnant women who have these STDs can pass conjunctivitis to their child when they give birth.
Why Do Healthcare Providers Recommend Antibacterial Drops for Infants?
Conjunctivitis is a serious problem when a child contracts it at birth due to an STI.
This can happen even if the mother doesn’t have symptoms.
Healthcare providers will treat the infants immediately with an antibiotic ointment or eye drops.
In severe cases, treatment should be initiated without waiting for culture results.
Allergic conjunctivitis often happens during allergy season and is usually short-term.
Antibiotic eye drops or ointments are used to treat bacterial pink eye.
Viral conjunctivitis cases cannot be cured with antibiotics, and the virus will have to run its course.
Symptoms of viral conjunctivitis usually disappear in up to 14 days or, in some cases, three weeks.
The following tips can make the process easier and safe:
When Am I No Longer Contagious?
During this time, the best thing is to avoid crowded places and wash your hands frequently.
That way, you’re free to avoid passing the condition on to other people.
They can reduce symptoms like swelling and itching.
Symptoms will also disappear when the cause of the allergy is removed.
Good personal hygiene is the best way to prevent spreading pink eye.
Using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol to clean hands is also effective.
Summary
Viral and bacterial pink eye are contagious, but allergic pink eye is not.
Don’t share cosmetics or other products that are used around the eyes, and wash towels daily.
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