Any OTC or home remedies for this?

[Laurie4b]

I seem to have a mild infection in both eyes. The only symptom is light yellowish discharge, that is crusted on lashes in the morning and which I wipe off a couple times during the day. I really don't want to go to the doctor for this. Is there something OTC that would help or some home remedy? My immune system is pretty good and I've been waiting for it to clear up on its own, but it's been about 3 days now.

[RoughCollie]

All you need is a prescription for an eye ointment that has an antibiotic in it. If you call your doctor, will s/he call one in for you, so you don't have to pay for an appointment just to achieve this?

[Laurie4b]

They'll make me come in. I just don't want to spend the time sitting in the office. :glare:

[catalinakel]

Call me old fashioned, but what I would do is soak a clean washcloth in a very warm salt water solution, wring and place over the eyes, squeezing the washcloth a bit so that the solution gets into the eyes.

[Guest ME-Mommy]

It sounds like "pink-eye" or conjunctivitis...

 

A friend once advised me to brew a tea bag and then place the slightly cooled tea bag on my eye. I found it easiest to do lying down. ;)

[LaissezFaire]

It sounds like pinkeye for sure. If it's yellow or green , it is an infection. You need to go get ointment or drops from your doc and honestly I would have everyone in the family treat themselves because it's so contagious. Don't mess around with eyes, just get treated.

[Laurie4b]

It sounds like pinkeye for sure. If it's yellow or green , it is an infection. You need to go get ointment or drops from your doc and honestly I would have everyone in the family treat themselves because it's so contagious. Don't mess around with eyes, just get treated.

 

My eyes are not pink nor itchy, though.

[Heather in AL]

With the lack of pinkness & itch, I would say it sounds like me with a bad allergy. Sometimes my only symptom is the goo. Sometimes in the morning, it would be so bad I couldn't open my eyes and needed the washcloth just to separate my eyelashes!

 

Are there allergens in the air where you live? Here, the cotton is being picked which throws something in the air that makes my eyes and face super puffy for most of the mornings. :glare: That isn't something I normally associate with allergies, but it's there.

 

My remedies are also a wet washcloth & the tea bag that was mentioned earlier.

 

If you find it gets worse or lasts longer than several more days using the above treatments, then, yes, I would go to the doctor. Like you, I lean toward home remedies to avoid the waiting time & hassle of visiting a doctor.

[Dobela]

When my dh has allergies settle in his eyes and cause that crustiness, he buys eye drops OTC for allergies. I think his favorite is Visine Allergy. Another, Zadiator (sp?) is good as well. Our pedictrician recommended it saying it is was formerly only availbale by Rx.

[plansrme]

I agree with those who have said it sounds like an allergy. My daughter had this recently and said the crustiness was waking her up in the middle of the night. I suggested rinsing her eyes with saline right before bed and again in the morning, my theory being that it would wash out some of the allergens. It seems to have worked.

 

Terri

[wapiti]

If you don't think it's pinkeye (or even if it is), my ped would say to wash the eyes with baby shampoo and warm water using cotton balls, to make sure you get all the goop off (to help prevent it from becoming a place for pinkeye bacteria to grow).

 

Personally, I prefer the washcloth for getting the goop off rather than cotton balls, as long as you don't think it's pinkeye.

 

Also, besides allergies, another possibility is a viral infection (same treatment, wash the goop off with baby shampoo). I've heard that more than once from the ped when I've brought someone in for possible pinkeye.

Edited September 27, 2010 by wapiti

[Laurie4b]

Thanks everyone! I'll try some of these. Here's hoping something works!