Understanding Pink Eye -- Prevention
How Can I Prevent Pink Eye?
Bacterial and viral pink eye are contagious. To prevent contracting pink eye or spreading it to other people, follow these preventive measures.
- Wash your hands thoroughly and often, especially if you touch your eye or the area around it.
- Keep your hands away from the infected eye. Infection can also enter the body through the nose and mouth.
- Do not share washcloths, towels, pillowcases, or handkerchiefs with others, including family members.
- Change the above items after each use and wash them thoroughly.
- Do not use other people's eye drops or cosmetics, particularly eyeliner pencils and mascara.
If your child gets pink eye, keep him or her out of school for a few days until there is no eye discharge and the redness is completely gone. Once one student comes down with pink eye, it is not uncommon for it to spread to an entire class.
Eye twitching is a repetitive, uncontrollable blinking or spasm of the eyelid, usually the upper lid. Eye twitching (blepharospasm) usually affects the eye muscles of both eyes. If you have eye twitching, you may have an involuntary movement that recurs every several seconds for a minute or two. Most people develop a minor eyelid twitch at some point in their lives. The causes include: Fatigue Stress Caffeine This minor form of twitch is painless and harmless. It usually goes away...
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Allergic pink eye can be prevented by avoiding those things that trigger the condition. New treatments for allergy sufferers (pills and eyedrops) can help prevent symptoms before they occur. Some patients benefit from skin testing that identifies specific sensitivities that can be blocked with regular injections (immune therapy).
Some forms of pink eye are caused by irritation from chemicals used to clean contact lenses. Temporary or permanent discontinuation of contact lens use can help relieve giant papillary conjunctivitis.
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