Eye goop

[Jean in Newcastle]

We all have a nasty virus that has us waking up with eyes crusted over. We've been using a washcloth with warm water to wash our eyes but it doesn't seem to be strong enough. We don't have any boric acid which is what I remember being the solution you are supposed to wash your eyes with. Any suggestions? (No one wears contacts either so no contact solution)

[Hunter's Moon]

You said to wash them out. Do you simply rub the eyes with the washcloth or do you lay it on the eyes and lay there for a bit?

 

I have bad allergies and have the same problem. It hurts when I try to open them sometimes so I leave the cloth on for 5-10 minutes and usually it softens it up a bit and helps me to open them.

 

I don't really know of anything else that won't burn the eyes.

 

I hope you all get better soon! Viruses in the summer are always the hardest and most bothersome!

 

ETA: Maybe tea bags that were soaked a bit in warm water?

[Laurie]

We've had something here, too. I've been microwaving salt and water in a cup to boiling and letting it cool. Then we soak a cotton square for each eye to use as a compress.

We've never had pinkeye here so I thought this was the viral kind as my dd and I each only had one eye affected. The salt water compresses done several times a day helped us and thankfully it didn't spread to the other eye.

[Ester Maria]

Have you tried warm chamomile tea bags (not full of liquid, you dry them first and then apply the little liquid that's left)? That worked for us.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Thank you. I'll try a salt solution. I don't think it is pink eye (not itchy) but more like mucus coming out the eyes (gross :ack2:)

[Pink Fairy]

Conjunctivitis doesn't always turn the eye pink. We've had it with gunk as the only symptom. I'd have it checked.

 

Bacterial

Bacterial conjunctivitis due to the common pyogenic (pus-producing) bacteria causes marked grittiness/irritation and a stringy, opaque, grey or yellowish mucopurulent discharge (mucus, gowl, goop, gunk, googies, eye crust, or other regional names, officially known as 'gound') that may cause the lids to stick together (matting), especially after sleeping. Another symptom that could be caused by bacterial conjunctivitis is severe crusting of the infected eye and the surrounding skin. However discharge is not essential to the diagnosis, contrary to popular belief. Bacteria such as Chlamydia trachomatis or Moraxella can cause a non-exudative but persistent conjunctivitis without much redness. The gritty and/or scratchy feeling is sometimes localized enough for patients to insist they must have a foreign body in the eye. The more acute pyogenic infections can be painful. Like viral conjunctivitis, it usually affects only one eye but may spread easily to the other eye. However, it is dormant in the eye for three days before the patient shows signs of symptoms.

Pyogenic bacterial conjunctivitis shows an opaque purulent discharge, a very red eye, and on bio microscopy there are numerous white cells and desquamated epithelial cells seen in the tear duct along the lid margin. The tarsal conjunctiva is a velvety red and not particularly follicular. Non-pyogenic infections can show just mild infection and be difficult to diagnose. Scarring of the tarsal conjunctiva is occasionally seen in chronic infections, especially in trachoma.

Edited June 27, 2010 by Mamabegood
more info

[Jean in Newcastle]

Conjunctivitis doesn't always turn the eye pink. We've had it with gunk as the only symptom. I'd have it checked.

 

Bacterial

Bacterial conjunctivitis due to the common pyogenic (pus-producing) bacteria causes marked grittiness/irritation and a stringy, opaque, grey or yellowish mucopurulent discharge (mucus, gowl, goop, gunk, googies, eye crust, or other regional names, officially known as 'gound') that may cause the lids to stick together (matting), especially after sleeping. Another symptom that could be caused by bacterial conjunctivitis is severe crusting of the infected eye and the surrounding skin. However discharge is not essential to the diagnosis, contrary to popular belief. Bacteria such as Chlamydia trachomatis or Moraxella can cause a non-exudative but persistent conjunctivitis without much redness. The gritty and/or scratchy feeling is sometimes localized enough for patients to insist they must have a foreign body in the eye. The more acute pyogenic infections can be painful. Like viral conjunctivitis, it usually affects only one eye but may spread easily to the other eye. However, it is dormant in the eye for three days before the patient shows signs of symptoms.

Pyogenic bacterial conjunctivitis shows an opaque purulent discharge, a very red eye, and on bio microscopy there are numerous white cells and desquamated epithelial cells seen in the tear duct along the lid margin. The tarsal conjunctiva is a velvety red and not particularly follicular. Non-pyogenic infections can show just mild infection and be difficult to diagnose. Scarring of the tarsal conjunctiva is occasionally seen in chronic infections, especially in trachoma.

 

Thank you. I do have some eye drops from the last pink eye we had. I'll check with my sil first (optometrist) and if she says to go for it, I'll use that.