- Teach proper hand washing technique and instruct patient to keep hands away of eyes
- Use disinfected equipment for eye examination
- Encourage patient to avoid sharing personal cloths with others
- Apply warm compress over eye and instill eye drops/ointment as ordered. Some eye drops contain antihistamines or other medications that can be helpful for people with allergic conjunctivitis.
- If pink eye affects only one eye, don’t touch both eyes with the same cloth. This reduces the risk of spreading an infection from one eye to the other.
- Instruct patient to clean eye discharge with tissue and dispose carefully.
- Replace eye cosmetics and do not share
- Teach the patient to install eye drops and ointments correctly without touching tip of container with eye or lashes
- Encourage patient to stay away from school for at least 7 days
- Instruct to use dark black eye glasses to avoid bright light and contamination
- Advise patient to use and take care of contact lenses correctly
- Advise patient to avoid rubbing eyes
- Administer antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers (for allergic conjunctivitis) as ordered.
- Administer decongestants, steroids and anti-inflammatory eye drops as ordered.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pink-eye/basics/lifestyle-home-remedies/con-20022732
