My daughter has pink eye and we are having trouble cleaning the crusties off her eyelashes any help?

My daughter (6 yr old) has been diagnosed with pink eye her eyes get really mucky and crusty and we keep soaking face clothes in warm water and washing them but the crusties just don't want to come off. Does any one have any ideas?

My daughter has pink eye and we are having trouble cleaning the crusties off her eyelashes any help?
Hi,, pink eye is so hard on children. I'm so sorry your daughter is having to go thru this. OK, I'm of the older generation,, and way back when they didn't make eye makeup remover,, so we always used baby oil. It doesn't burn your eyes,, and it kept your lashes soft. If you put just a few drops of baby oil,,, on your warm wet rag, when you wipe your daughters eyes, the oil would soften up those old crusties,, and it wouldn't be long until they would come right off. And the good thing about baby oil, is that it would stay on your daughters lashes, and would keep the rest from getting so hard. And yes, pink eye is very contagious,, but the antibiotics, on your daughters lashes, will also , stay put longer. This would not spread it to the other eye, and won't keep her from getting better Hope this helps
Reply:Yes. When I had a serious case of conjunctivitis ("pinkeye") years ago, I had a similar problem. The doctor told me to get a cotton Q-Tip, place it in warm water, and then put a drop of Johnson's Baby Shampoo on it. Then , GENTLY wash the base of the eyelashes, and give it a few minutes to loosen the crust which is coating the lashes. The mild soapy water will not irritate the eye if it gets in, and the soap will usually loosen the crusty buildup.





Then, when they have dried, your doctor will have prescribed an opthalmic ointment or eyedrops that has an antibiotic in it to kill the infection. You can insert or put on the medicine in the cleaned eye per his instructions.





The buildup on the lashes is tough to remove while the infection is causing a discharge out of the eye. Hot water compresses are only partially successful. And rubbing the eyelids too hard, especially with children, will cause more discomfort, and can even pull out the lashes if you try to remove the crust by force.





Just remember: use the Q-Tip when it is wet, not dry, and wash your own hands thoroughly with a good brand of antibiotic soap when through, because conjunctivitis is highly infectious. you don't want to re-use any towel or cloth after cleaning an infected eye. And do not use the same Q-tip from one eye to the other, for the same reason. Use another clean one before repeating the steps on the other eye. But also, remember to wash your hands thoroughly between doing this from one eye to the other, as it will only help to spread the infection otherwise.





There are some other types of very light soap you can purchase for cleansing the eyes. I forget their name, but they do the same thing. But Johnson's Baby Shampoo worked fine for me. It is gentle enough for young kids, and won't sting their eyes.





If it helps, remember that the eyes can become light-sensitive when infected. Keep in the shade outside, or have her wear dark sunglasses (cleaning the bridge of the glasses frequently to prevent more cross-contamination.)





Good luck. Hope she improves quickly.
Reply:get a very warm washcloth and rub down and keep the cloth warm and wet and keep rubbing downward with her eyes close.
Reply:warm washcloth....you need to leave the wash cloth pressed against the eye for several minutes...don't just take a wash cloth and start trying to wash the eye..you need to more or less SOAK the eye, gently.





its going to take a few days.





Definitely a nuisance. Make sure everyone else in the house is continually wahing their hands, and DON'T put your hands anywhere near your eyes. Pink Eye is totally contagious.
Reply:my daughter got that a bunch when she was little. I had to buy those really soft baby washclothes, I think gerber makes them, and rinse them in warm water and gently wipe her eye with them. I did it every 30 minutes or so for a few days until the eye drops or what ever medicine they gave me kicked in. otherwise her eyes would stick shut if there was too much build up. I dont think warm water hurts anything- but always ask your doctor before doing it so it does not get worse. It did work for me