Recurring pink eye - rant

nancy324

nancy324

Cathlete
I had a makeover at Bloomingdale's at the Prescriptives counter a few weeks ago and caught the worse case of conjunctivitis (pink eye). Fortunately, I had a prescription from my doctor for drops on hand from the last time I thought I had it, but didn't. I filled the prescription, used the drops consistently for days, and my eyes got much better.

I couldn't use eye make-up for days, and when I did, it was all new stuff that I got from the makeover, so it was uncontaminated. Then yesterday my eyes got much worse again! I can't figure out what I did wrong. I have clients to meet this week and I'm sick of walking around without eye makeup. I put my towels in the wash, changed my sheets and threw away my eyelash curler. I don't know what else to do. I am so bummed!! Anyone else ever have this problem?

I read on the internet that it's not serious, so I intend to workout today and go about all of my usual activities (to the extent that they don't require sight, because my vision is all blurry x( )

<sigh>

-Bummed in Brooklyn
 
Nancy,
Conjunctivitis can be bacterial or viral. The bacterial kind responds rapidly to drops. The viral kind usually starts as a cold that spreads to your eyes. Or is caught from airborne droplets, just like a cold. I have had this kind, it's hideous. I couldn't see, it was horrible. When you have a bad case of conjuctivitis you get little bits of white blood cells in your cornea called subepithelial infiltrates. This is normal. It is your body trying to fight off the virus. The only thing that helps the viral pinkeye is steroid drops. They help hasten the healing process. I would see an opthamologist. You probably have the infiltrates if your vision is blurry.

Get well soon,
Lori
 
Thanks so much for your response Lori! I suppose I should see a doc, but I have an appointment with my internist for my annual check-up in a few weeks and I keep hoping that it can wait till then. But maybe I'd better just go this week. You think it would make more sense to see my opthamologist than my internist? If my internist is just going to send me to the opthamologist, I'd rather cut to the chase. Thanks again!
 
New make-up? Allergy?

Nancy,

Is this the first time you've used prescriptives? Is it possible that you have an allergy to the make up? I know prescriptives is hypoallergenic but that does not guarantee every person won't have a reaction. I love prescriptives--I use it, too.

Go to the doctor before self treating any further! And good luck!
 
Yes, your internist probably doesn't have the equipment to look into your eye like the opthamologist does. He can confirm whether or not you have a viral conjuntivitis and look into your cornea. The steroid drops do the trick and it's no fun being "blind". :) Are the whites of your eyes pink? You can try very hot compresses, as hot as you can stand in the mean time. Hot compresses work very well with bacterial conjunctivitis. Run some washcloths under very hot water and let them sit on your eyes, do this a couple times. BUT, you probably have the viral, and nothing works except time and steroid eye drops.

Lori :)
 
RE: New make-up? Allergy?

Oh, gosh, no Fitness! I've been using Prescriptives for probably a decade now. Just love it. Have you tried the new moisturizer? I was reluctant because of the price, but I am really liking it. I can use a small amount, so maybe it will last a long time.

I also bought a product called Skin Tone Correcting Serum. I have the beginnings of a dark spot on my face and they told me it will remove the dark spot! I was going to go to the dermatologist, but I'll try this first and see how it goes.

The makeover was a birthday present to myself. It was a small fortune, but hey, as the commercial says, I'm worth it. }(
 
When I was a teenager getting conjunctivis was pretty common for me. I don't know how it stopped completely, but I kept going to the eye doctor to get different kinds of drops and ointments (just so I didn't wake up with my eyelids glued together). I bought new eye makeup every time I had conjunctivitis again but then I didn't replace it every 3 months so there I was with pink eye again.

I washed my eyes using cotton and Johnson's baby shampoo with water (a tiny bit of shampoo in a glass with bottled water not tap water). I stopped scratching my eyes too. It was a really hard habit to break but I did. I also started replacing my mascara every 3 months and replaced powder puffs and eyeshadow applicators frequently and cleaned my brushes weekly with antibacterial soap and water. I eventually stopped getting pink eye. I think I had to get rid of a lot of bad habits.

I hope you get better soon.

By the way, I read a tip the other day and the lady said that you can use a spritzer with rubbing alcohol to sterilize the top of powder eyeshadows and face powders. With proper use and assuming you won't get another eye infection, you can replace those every 2 years.
 
Lori-
You are such a dear for taking the time out to help me with this! I will go straight to the opthamologist this week.

Thank you so much!!

-Nancy
 
RE: New make-up? Allergy?

Well it is possible that hypoallergenic make up can cause reactions. I used prescriptives foundation since I was 16 (it was the only liquid foundation that I could get that completely matched my skin tone) I also used Clinique loose translucent powder. Both brands hypoallergenic. I was having tons of skin problems. I never thought it could be the makeup. I decided to give Bare Escentuals a try and my skin is so much better now. However, my problems with pink eye in my opinion were caused by bacteria not allergic reactions to the make up I used.
 
Hi!

Just wanted to let you know that I had the exact same thing happen to me. I thought I had pink eye (work in an elementary school). My eyes keep getting that infected look but after having this happen about four times in a row, I discovered that I was actually allergic to the purple dye in the eye pencils and shadows. (Actually any make-up other than browns, blacks, neutrals). I had just started using a violet eye pencil (LOVED IT) and the next days my eyes would have the pink eye look. Went to the doctor.....they thought it was pink eye. But it kept on happening and to make a long story short I finally figured out what was the culprit. To this day......if I decide to use purple eye make-up, my eyes will pay for it.

Hope this helps.

Karen
 
P.S. Sometimes they change the ingredients in make-up just a bit and boom....you have a reaction. This happened to my mom also. She used the same stuff for years and they changed one little thing and .....well she had an allergic reaction.

KarenL
 
I had a similar experience and figured out that I'm allergic to anything with peroxide (hydrogen or otherwise) in it, pool chemicals, toothpaste, eye makeup, acne cream, etc. It was just like full blown conjuntivitus - red irritation, crusty eyelids in the morning. Maybe you should stop using the eye makeup and see what happens when you start using it again.
 
Nancy, you may be better by now, but here's my 2 cents... you have obviously taken the right steps towards clearing up your infection, anti-bacterial eye drops, washed towels, thrown away eyelash curler(hopefully mascara too,) etc, but when it hasn't started to make a turn for the better within two day, then you better see an eye doctor. What are you waiting for?

Marla
 
Actually, Marla, I was just waiting for the weekend to be over so that the doctor's office would be open. Now that it's Monday morning, I'm calling!

I'm so tired of this. I can't do laundry often enough to change my face towel everyday, and I'm running out of pillowcases. I can't keep up with this thing. <sigh>
 
You can go to any doctor about this. Anyway, if you have contact lenses, throw them out. It is almost impossible to get this out of the contacts once they have been infected.
 
Bleah! You caught the pink-eye at the make-up counter? Aren't they supposed to use fresh applicators for everyone? I think the only time I did the makeover at the Clinique counter (before I got married), she used Q-tips to apply the eye shadow. Although...I guess for eyeliner and mascara, you can't really avoid sharing. Ick! I never thought about that.

I've never had pinkeye. My daughter had it once when she was an infant.

I did have a case of ringworm once, if that makes you feel better. Caught it from a kitten that we took in. That was nasty gross.
 
Nancy, don't worry about all that washing of your linens and stuff. If it is viral, it doesn't matter. It just has to run it's course. Somebody probably sneezed on you, and you have the viral form. I had it, and my kids nor hubby never got it. I had the darn thing for 2-3 weeks. I had to go to the eye doctor constantly to monitor the infiltrates. I remember not being able to read road signs, stuff like that. It was misearable. :)

Hope you are doing well!

Lori
 
Marla,
How sweet of you to ask!

My opthamologist squeezed me in Monday morning. She is great! I'm on a rigorous eye drop schedule now, with 2 different eye drops. She said it is very important to do the eye drops for a full 7 days, and to wash my eyelashes each night with baby shampoo. She promises that after 7 days the infection will be gone and WILL not recur. :D

I am starting to get used to not wearing any eye makeup, and I'm actually going to see clients tomorrow au natural. They are in their nineties and frail, so I hope I don't scare them too much. :+

BTW, the infection is bacterial. She said she can tell because viral infections don't usually have the crustiness I have. I'm really glad I went to the opthamologist instead of my PCP. She seemed much more knowledgable about the whole problem. Thanks to those who suggested it!
 
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