Pink Eye Anyone?

Updated on March 16, 2007
G.D. asks from Media, PA
17 answers

My 4 year old was running a fever for two days and then yesterday her one eye was red with a little bit of crusty stuff now today both are the same. I called the pediatrician and they ordered her eye drops over the phone. I asked when she can return to school and the said as long as she gets a full dosage of the drops for one day she will be ok for tomorrow. Now my question is should they have seen her eyes before ordering her drops? I don't mind over the phone orders from doctors when I know something about what they have but I know very little about pink eye. And secondly would you send her to school tomorrow? I use a big group pediatrician office and they all have different opinions on everything so this is why I am second guessing them. Thanks so much:)

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So What Happened?

Well I did send my four year old to school the next day and she did well. When we got there we found out that her best friend had pink eye too a few days before. The next day my baby had a crusty eye so I called the ped and got her drops too, just to nip that in the butt if she had it. Now my four year old's best friend is out again, I just hope my daughter didn't give it back to her. Thanks again for all your advise:)

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S.H.

answers from Washington DC on

Funny, I took my 14 month old son to the DR. today with eye drainage. He wakes up and his eyes are crusty and stuck shut. The Dr. said today it was pink eye and put him on eye drops called Tobernax. (sp)?

Afer 1 day of drops he is already much better, no drainage. It sounds like pink eye to me. I hope she feels better.

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E.B.

answers from Harrisburg on

My son gets pink eye at least once every winter. His eyes don't get really pink or super crusty. His eyes get glossy and drippy. I don't take him to the doctor's anymore. They just call in a script for eye drops. I wouldn't worry too much.

Smiles,
E. Marie

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H.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Maybe a month or so ago I suspected pink eye with my 2 year old. He complained that his eye hurt and it was red and goopy. I called the ped and they asked if he had any other symptoms. He had a runny nose as well. They said if there are any other symptoms with the eyes, they want to see them in the office. It turned out that he didn't have pink eye, but did have 2 ear infections!! He had only ever had 1 ear infection before and NEVER complained about his ears even when asked (though he was complaining about his eyes without being asked). I never suspect ear infections with my kids since they just haven't ever had problems with them. She said the eyes were just a related infection and said the ear meds would also help the eyes. I have seen pink eye in myself and students before so I was surprised by the results, but he recovered in a few days and no one else ever contracted pink eye.

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J.G.

answers from Lancaster on

24 hrs of antibiotic eye drops is all a child needs, before returning to school. My older children have had conjunctivitis before, and were sent to school at 24 hrs after start of eye drops.

J. (also an L&D RN)

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T.P.

answers from Washington DC on

i am not sure which doctors office you use, however, my daughter just had pink eye and the night before she kept saying her eye hurt, and then she woke up with pink eye the next day.. we took her to the emergency clinic office in rockville (open on weekends) and they examined her and gave her drops and said the same thing about staying out of school for at least 24 hours (enough time for the medicine to work). i would think that if your daughter was feeling better, you know when she needs more time... if her eyes were the only problem, then 24 hours is fine.

your in silver spring? if so, i love my daughters doctor.. he is a one man shop. Dr. Hashim Hashim. When i was having her in the hospital, i had a list of names and asked the differant nurses who they liked and they all picked him.. just a thought for you.

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J.N.

answers from Scranton on

Hi G. ...

My son had the exact same thing this week. It's very common for them to automatically call in a script for pink eye because they would actually prefer not seeing the child because it's so contagious. The symptoms are pretty black or white unlike a cold or anything like that. We've been through this a few times so as soon as I see the earliest of symptoms I call in. After 24 hours of using the drops she's not contagious anymore so as long as she's not in pain I'd send her back to school.

I hope this helps and your daughter feels better soon. Have a great weekend!

- J.

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T.A.

answers from Philadelphia on

Good Morning. My daughter is just getting over pink eye. Is your daughters eye all bloodshot and pink all around the lower eye lid? If so, she has pink eye. I didn't take my daughter to the doctor either, they just called in the prescription. Pink eye is going around right now.

Good Luck

T.

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K.B.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Geogine,

We are expericing this also. Friday morning my daughter woke up with a red eye at first I didnt think anything of it. She had had a runny nose for a cople of days. It wasnt until my son woke up friday afternoon from his nap with a red eye that I noticed it would be a problem. Now I thought that they would want to see my kids also but when I called the doctor on monday they ordered my son eye drops over the phone ebcuae Saturday he was running a fever my daughters eye had improved and I didnt see it was red so they didnt order anything for her. Since I had kept her home on monday to see if they doc wanted to see her she needed a note for school and the doctor said it was probably just her allergies not pink eye but the school still needed a note then we needed to take her in. The doctor said she did still have pink eye but it was clearing up on its on but since she was missing school ordered her eye drops also and gave me the note. My son on the other hand has pink eye in both eyes becuase no matter what I did he wouldnt stop rubbing his eyes. The eye drops are clearing it up, The doctor did explain to me that with pink eye it is something they usually take care of over the phone. I mentioned to her that I have heard of alot of people getting pink eye lately and she told me that you do not need to be near anyone with pink eye to get it. (I was wondering how my kids got it becuase they havent had school since last Wednesdau) Its a viral cold in the eyes and any cold can lead to it.

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J.F.

answers from Philadelphia on

My dr office will not give out meds until after they see you. Some do it the way your dr did. Honestly I wish my dr would do it that way. It makes things easier and it is a waste of money for me when I know my child had pink eye but the dr had to look at it before giving me eye drops. I had pink eye years ago and as soon as I saw her I knew she had it.

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R.E.

answers from Philadelphia on

I used to work at an eye doctor's office and we strongly discourage any over the phone diagnosis. I called my family doctor about my son once and the nurse asked me three times if I just wanted them to give me pink eye drops and I kept saying NO I don't think he HAS pink eye, his eye is pink, yes, but that's not it. It turned out to be allergies. Personally I would never put anything in your eye or your child's without having a doctor actually look at the child, there are lots of things that can make your eye pink and crusty besides pink eye. I would schedule her with an eye doctor or her pediatrician.

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A.M.

answers from Reading on

It definitely sounds like pink eye. It is not incommon fr a dr not to have you bring your chile in when they have pink eye to due to the fact that it is cntagious to yourself and others. Afters 24 hours on antibitics it is safe for you to send her back because she is no longer contagious after that. I had many cases like this when I wrked in an urgent care center. If you see no improvement within 3 days then you should schedule her an appointment to see the Dr. Good Luck!!

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K.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Hi G., My name is K.. I am a mom of 5. I get the exact same thing when I call my small doctor's office. They know the symtoms of pink eye very very well. As soon as I call and tell them they do the same thing. I always here please do not bring the kids in. It is oh so very contagious and the virus can live off the body on objects for a while. So they ask you not to bring them in so that the other kids dont catch it. So to answer your question yes, I think all doctor offices are the same. And no, mine dont want to see the kids for that either,

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S.J.

answers from Philadelphia on

From my experience, my pediatrician does not want to see my children if they have pink eye. It is highly contagious so they don't really want them in the office. If you describe what you see they can tell whether or not it's pink eye. If you give your daughter a full days worth of eye drops today she really should be alright to go to school tomorrow. If you don't feel comfortable just keep her home and definitely by Monday she'll be all better.

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B.R.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I have four kids and they've all had the dreaded pink eye. For that the dr will prescribe over the phone and we do send them the next day. One thing to be aware of...the germs that cause pink eye can live for 7 days outside of the body, for example the door knobs, faucet handles, etc. Our eye dr informed me of that little tidbit of info. You might want to pretty much wipe everything down your little one touches for a few days just to be sure you get all the little monsters. I've used those antibacterial wipes.

Good luck...I know what a pain it can be.

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J.D.

answers from Washington DC on

Yes, what your ped did was standard procedure and it's ok. If you weren't taking your child in for regular checkups, that might have been a different matter. Yes, I would send her to school the next day. She will not be contagious at that point. The drops will take care of the germs. I always sent my kids in the next day and everything was fine. I told them if their eyes are itchy to always get a tissue and rub it, then throw it away. They never spread it to anyone to the best of my knowledge.

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T.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Hi G.. I usually am so relieved when a doctor is willing to prescribe over the phone. I have three kids, and if I know what ailment they have, I'm thrilled if I don't have to run them into the office. It definately sounds like your daughter has pink-eye. And I certainly would not send her to school tomorrow unless her eyes arent red anymore, simply because everyone will treat her as if she is contagious, even if she isn't. I'm sure she wouldn't mind a day off, and sending her to school would probably result in her getting her feelings hurt.

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L.N.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Could be a sinus infection. My sons eyes would sometimes well up and become puffy and red. All they ordered him was amoxocilian and he was fine after that.

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