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Pink Eye: Usually Mild and Easy to Treat

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Pink, itchy eyes? Pink eye – or conjunctivitis – is common and spreads easily. It sometimes needs medical treatment, depending on the cause. Know the symptoms, when to seek treatment, and how to help prevent it.

Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, is one of the most common and treatable eye conditions in the world in both children and adults. It is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear tissue that lines the inside of the eyelid and the white part of the eyeball. This inflammation makes blood vessels more visible and gives the eye a pink or reddish color.

Four Main Causes of Pink Eye

Four Main Causes of Pink Eye

There are four main causes of pink eye:

It can be difficult to determine the exact cause of pink eye because some signs and symptoms may be the same no matter the cause.

Symptoms of Pink Eye

Symptoms of Pink Eye

The symptoms of pink eye may vary depending on the cause but usually include:

  • Redness or swelling of the white of the eye or inside the eyelids
  • Increased amount of tears
  • Eye discharge which may be clear, yellow, white or green
  • Itchy, irritated, and/or burning eyes
  • Gritty feeling in the eye
  • Crusting of the eyelids or lashes
  • Contact lenses that feel uncomfortable and/or do not stay in place on the eye
When to See a Healthcare Provider?

Most cases of pink eye are mild and get better on their own, even without treatment. However, there are times when it is important to see a healthcare provider for specific treatment and/or follow-up. You should see a healthcare provider if you have pink eye along with any of the following:

  • Moderate to severe pain in your eye(s)
  • Sensitivity to light or blurred vision
  • Intense redness in the eye(s)
  • A weakened immune system, for example from HIV or cancer treatment
  • Symptoms that get worse or don’t improve, including bacterial pink eye that does not improve after 24 hours of antibiotic use
  • Pre-existing eye conditions that may put you at risk for complications or severe infection

An infant or newborn with symptoms of pink eye should see a healthcare provider immediately. See conjunctivitis treatment for more information.

Stop Pink Eye from Spreading

Pink eye caused by a virus or bacteria is very contagious and spreads easily and quickly from person to person. Pink eye that is caused by allergens or irritants is not contagious, but it is possible to develop a secondary infection caused by a virus or bacteria that is contagious. You can reduce the risk of getting or spreading pink eye by following some simple self-care steps:

  • Wash your hands
  • Avoid touching or rubbing your eyes
  • Avoid sharing makeup, contact lenses and containers, and eyeglasses

See conjunctivitis prevention for more information.

Pink Eye in Newborns

A newborn baby who has symptoms of pink eye should see a healthcare provider as soon as possible. Pink eye in newborns can be caused by an infection, irritation, or a blocked tear duct.

Neonatal pink eye caused by sexually transmitted infections, like gonorrhea or chlamydia, can be very serious. If you are pregnant and think you may have a sexually transmitted infection, visit your healthcare provider for testing and treatment. If you don’t know whether you have a sexually transmitted infection but have recently given birth and your newborn shows signs of pink eye, visit your child’s healthcare provider right away.

Most hospitals are required by state law to put drops or ointment in a newborn’s eyes to prevent pink eye. For more information, see conjunctivitis in newborns.

More Information

Pink Eye: What to Do

Listeria Outbreak Linked to Deli Ham from Johnston County Hams, Inc.

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CDC advises consumers and retailers not to eat, serve, or sell recalled ready-to-eat deli ham produced by Johnston County Hams, Inc. The ham is linked to a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections. A food safety alert has been posted at: https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/countryham-10-18/index.html

Key Points:

  • CDC and public health and regulatory officials in several states are investigating a multistate outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections linked to ready-to-eat deli ham produced by Johnston County Hams, Inc., of Smithfield, North Carolina. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) is monitoring the outbreak.
  • Four people infected with the outbreak strain of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from North Carolina and Virginia. All ill people were hospitalized. One death has been reported from Virginia.
  • Listeria specimens were collected from ill people from July 8, 2017 to August 11, 2018.
  • On October 3, 2018, Johnston County Hams, Inc. recalled ready-to-eat country-style deli hams because they might be contaminated with Listeria. Recalled products were produced from April 3, 2017 through October 2, 2018.
  • This investigation is ongoing, and CDC will provide updates when more information is available.

Advice to Consumers and Retailers

September – National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

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One in 5 children in the United States are obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

The good news? Childhood obesity can be prevented. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to create opportunities for kids to eat healthier and get more active.

Make a difference for kids: spread the word about strategies for preventing childhood obesity and encourage communities, organizations, families, and individuals to get involved.

How can National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month make a difference?

We can all use this month to raise awareness about the obesity epidemic and show people how they can help work towards a solution.

Here are just a few ideas:

  • Encourage families to make small changes, like keeping fresh fruit within reach or going on a family walk after dinner.
  • Motivate teachers and administrators to make schools healthier. Help them provide healthy food options and daily physical activities for students.
  • Ask doctors and nurses to be leaders in their communities by supporting programs to prevent childhood obesity.

How can I help spread the word?

We’ve made it easier for you to make a difference. This toolkit is full of ideas to help you take action today. For example:

 

American College of Sports Medicine

Health Topics

Healthy People Topic Areas

Personal Health Tools

Other Resources

 

Find More Information

About Breastfeeding

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Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for most infants. It can also reduce the risk for some short- and long-term health conditions for both infants and mothers.

Most mothers want to breastfeed but stop early due to a lack of ongoing support. Certain factors make the difference in whether and how long infants are breastfed. For more information on why breastfeeding matters, what CDC is doing to increase breastfeeding rates, and how we are making a difference, explore the options below.

 

For More Information Please Visit

For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding

Why It Matters

Only 1 in 4 infants is exclusively breastfed as recommended by the time they are 6 months old.

 

Low rates of breastfeeding add more than $3 billion a year to medical costs for the mother and child in the United States.

 

Black infants are 21% less likely to have ever been breastfed than white infants.

 

 

Breastfeeding is an Investment in Health, Not Just a Lifestyle Decision

 

Benefits for Infants

Infants who are breastfed have reduced
risks of:

 

 

 

 

Benefits for Mothers

Breastfeeding can help lower a mother’s risk of:

  • High blood pressure
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Breast cancer

“Breastfeeding provides unmatched health benefits for babies and mothers. It is the clinical gold standard for infant feeding and nutrition, with breast milk uniquely tailored to meet the health needs of a growing baby. We must do more to create supportive and safe environments for mothers who choose to breastfeed.”

Dr. Ruth Petersen, Director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity

What CDC is Doing

CDC’s Work to Support and Promote Breastfeeding

We collect data to learn how best to improve breastfeeding rates in the United States by:

  • Tracking how long infants are breastfed.
  • Creating reports that show how well states and hospitals support breastfeeding mothers.

 

 

 

 

We promote best practices in health care settings by:

 

 

 

We support mothers at work and in their communities by:

Making A Difference

In the United States, the percentage of babies who start out breastfeeding increased from 73% in 2004 to 83% in 2015.

In the United States, the percentage of births in hospitals with recommended maternity care practices that support breastfeeding increased from 1.9% in 2008 to 26.1% in 2018.

 

“Given the importance of breastfeeding on the health of mothers and children, it is critical that we take action to support breastfeeding. Only through the support of family, communities, clinicians, healthcare systems, and employers will we be able to make breastfeeding the easy choice.”

Dr. Jerome M. Adams, U.S. Surgeon General

For More Information Please Visit

For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding

Extreme Heat

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Heat and Infants and Children

Infants and young children rely on others to keep them cool and hydrated when it’s hot outside. In this article, we provide tips for protecting your children and other family members from extreme heat.

 

Keep kids cool and hydrated

  • Never leave infants or children in a parked car, even if the windows are open.
  • Dress infants and children in loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
  • Make sure they’re drinking plenty of fluids. Stay away from really cold drinks or drinks with too much sugar.
  • Follow additional tips on how to prevent heat-related illness.

Never leave kids in a parked car

  • Even when it feels cool outside, cars can heat up to dangerous temperatures very quickly.
  • Leaving a window open is not enough- temperatures inside the car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open.
  • Children who are left unattended in parked cars are at greatest risk for heat stroke, and possibly death.

Tips for traveling with children

    • Never leave infants or children in a parked car, even if the windows are cracked open.
    • To remind yourself that a child is in the car, keep a stuffed animal in the car seat. When the child is buckled in, place the stuffed animal in the front with the driver.
    • When leaving your car, check to be sure everyone is out of the car. Do not overlook any children who have fallen asleep in the car.

Learn how to spot heat-related illness

Seek medical care immediately if your child has symptoms of heat-related illness.

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Does Birth Order Matter?

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There is a great deal of real but not particularly scientific evidence that birth order has a great influence on who we turn out to be as adults. If you understand how birth order affects a child, you will be better able to understand and effectively parent your children. You might even understand yourself a bit better.

Now, it’s important to note that people don’t just neatly fit into categories of any kind, and they don’t all fit neatly into birth order categories. The following observations are generalities and not specifics, but still, they might be helpful.

First Children:

Typical first children in a family assume responsibility. They are rule-keepers/enforcers, and they are organized, as well as driven, bossy, approval-seeking, self-critical high-achievers. There’s a mixture of good and bad if I ever saw one!

Way back in 1874, Francis Galton studied and published a report about the lives of 180 eminent scientists of the day. He discovered that 48% of them were first children. During the 20th century, more first-born children were Nobel Prize winners, composers, presidents of countries, astronauts, and prominent personalities. First-born children usually score higher on standardized IQ tests than middle children or youngest children in the birth order.

Middle Children:

My mother said that middle children had “middle child-itis.”  She was a middle child, and she always said her mother said, “You two older kids do this and you two younger kids do that,” and she was caught both ways. Middle kids are usually adaptable. They make great friends and spouses.

Youngest Children:

The “baby-of-the-family” is inventive and often more aggressive. Children who are the last born in a family are very often irresponsible and rebellious. They more often feel “picked on” and inadequate. However, last-borns are also more creative. They are risk-takers. They usually have a great sense of humor and have outgoing personalities.

A Key Piece of the Puzzle: Vaccinations

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As a parent, you work hard to keep your baby healthy, by giving lots of
love… providing healthy foods.

Keeping little hands, feet, and faces clean. Getting plenty of physical activity, and
vaccination. Nothing protects babies better from 14 serious diseases by age two.

That’s why doctors recommend and parents choose the safe, proven protection of
vaccination. Vaccination, a key piece of the puzzle.

For more reasons to vaccinate, talk to your child’s doctor, or go to www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents.