Pinkeye Chasing the -Itis Out

Chasing the ''-itis'' Out

As you tuck your daughter into bed you notice her eyelids are a bit pink and swollen. The next morning they're even redder, and she complains that they're itchy.

Chances are good you're looking at pinkeye--a fairly common infection that tends to spread among small children, who generally can't resist rubbing their eyes and touching everything in sight. Pinkeye is the infectious form of conjunctivitis, a swelling of the membrane inside the eyelids. In more severe cases, the membrane oozes pus and the whites of the eyes are reddened.

The cause? It could be wayward bacteria or the same viruses that cause colds, sore throats or measles. Most often your child will get pinkeye at the same time as a cold, says Barton D. Schmitt, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, director of consultative services at the Ambulatory Care Center at Children's Hospital, both in Denver and author of Your Child's Health.

But there's also a form of conjunctivitis that isn't infectious. It can be caused by allergy, injury or even a bug that's flown into your child's eye. ( Technically, this isn't pinkeye at all, but many people call all types of conjunctivitis pinkeye.)

You'll want to describe symptoms to your doctor, who may want to see your child, says Dr. Schmitt. The viral form of pinkeye goes away on its own, just as the cold that likely caused it does. Noninfectious conjunctivitis also seldom requires treatment, although if it's caused by an injury or allergy your doctor may treat the eye. For a bacterial infection the doctor is likely to prescribe antibiotic drops or ointment to hasten the recovery time.

But whatever kind of pinkeye your child has, those swollen eyes are probably itchy and uncomfortable. Here are some tips to help make the recovery time shorter and more comfortable.

Soothe with compresses. One of the best ways to make your child feel better is by putting warm compresses on the eyes. ''Use a washcloth that's been warmed up to a little above body temperature,'' advises Robert Mendelson, M.D., a pediatrician and clinical professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. ''Lay the cloth on the affected eye or eyes and as it cools, replace it with another one that's been warmed up.'' Do this for five to ten minutes three or four times a day.

Take care with stuck eyelids. When a child has the bacterial form of pinkeye, her eyes may ooze quite of bit of pus during the night. Sometimes the eyes get stuck shut and need to be soaked open. It's important to remind your child at bedtime that this could happen, just so she won't be frightened the next morning when she can't open her eyes easily.

'' Warm, wet compresses are the best way to get the crusted material to soften,'' says Francis Gigliotti, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics, microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York. Soak a washcloth in warm water and apply it to the infected eye or eyes. Just be sure no one else uses the washcloth afterward, or they may get pinkeye, too.

Read to--or feed--a resistant child. If a toddler doesn't want that warm compress over her eyes, it helps to read a favorite book while you're giving the treatment, advises Dr. Mendelson. For a baby, try applying the compress while feeding your infant.

''Reading to children or feeding them often distracts them enough to get the job done,'' says Dr. Mendelson. ''Older kids, on the other hand, figure out right away that the compresses feel good, so they are usually quite cooperative.''

Reduce the risk. The germs that cause pinkeye are easily spread among other members of a household, says Dr. Gigliotti. Towels, sheets, pillowcases and washcloths used by the infected child should be laundered immediately in hot water. After you've dropped the items in the washer, wash your hands thoroughly so you won't get infected.

Out with those contacts. Children who wear contact lenses should remove them at the first sign of pinkeye, says Dr. Mendelson. Then they should wear their glasses until the condition clears up. The combination of pinkeye and contacts could cause a serious cornea irritation.

Consider sterile saline drops. A drop or two of saline solution, available at most pharmacies, can be very soothing for infected eyes, says Dr. Gigliotti. ''But if you have a toddler who won't cooperate, it's better not to force the issue,'' he adds.

Older kids are usually willing to put up with the strange feeling of eyedrops just to get the soothing relief they offer. To help keep your child from blinking at the moment you squeeze the dropper and sending the drops rolling down the cheeks, tell your child to concentrate on looking up rather than focusing on the moving dropper, says Dr. Mendelson. Then gently pull down the lower lid and place the drops into the pocket this creates.

Don't touch the eye with the tip of the dropper. ''If you touch the dropper to the eye and then insert it into the bottle, you'll get bacteria growing in the saline,'' warns Dr. Gigliotti. ''This can cause a second infection down the road.''

If you think you've contaminated the tip of the dropper, wipe it immediately with sterile gauze. You can use the dropper again after wiping it clean, but make sure you don't share the saline solution with anyone else in the family. And after the infection has cleared up, discard the dropper, dispenser bottle and remaining solution.