Parenting Win of the Week: Why My Favorite Color Is NOT Pink

You'll want to keep an eye out for symptoms of this common condition.

Crying baby.Check out these similar images. :)

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Crying baby.Check out these similar images. :)

Photo by: dishapaun

dishapaun

There were many things that weren’t great about being in lockdown for COVID-19, but if we want to spin the positive, it was really nice not worrying about the handful of wildfire-like spreading illnesses, namely strep, lice, and our current state of affairs: conjunctivitis (a.k.a. pink eye). Not to mention all of the rogue boogers that fill an elementary school.

Anyways, my youngest went to school yesterday and about an hour later, the nurse called me to tell me she thought he had pink eye. Of course, my initial instinct was not a chance. He had nothing wrong when he went to school and this was now a disruptor in my day.

I called the pediatrician when he got home and described the very slight redness. She had me try allergy drops, but a few hours later the tell-tale signs of goop, itching, and swelling reared their ugly heads. Pink eye it was. Immediately, my eyes started itching because doesn’t that happen to everyone?

I took him to the doctor, who prescribed antibiotic drops. Now, for those of you who have dealt with pink eye, how many of you have been able to just give these drops without your kid crying, screaming, kicking, or just not opening their eyes. Doesn’t matter the kid or the age in my house — nobody is taking these drops without a fight.

After talking with the school nurse and the pediatrician, pink eye is back in a major way. Apparently, it is one of the first symptoms of the newest COVID-19 strand, it’s been something that has been popping up along with regular colds and of course, with little kids being little kids, it still spreads like wildfire on its own.

Bacterial conjunctivitis can be treated with antibiotic eye drops while viral can’t, so it’s important to consult your doctor. Most schools will want your kid out for 24 hours (if it’s bacterial), so the eye drops have a chance to kick in and there will no longer be a contagious aspect.

Keep your fingers crossed for me that this thing doesn’t spread throughout my family and keep your eye out (literally) for any redness, pink, crustiness, itching or pain.

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