Parents have been asking me some eye-opening questions about whether or not their child might be getting pinkeye.

Well, let me see what I can tell you about this problem.

Pinkeye gets its name because it describes the pink or reddish appearance of what is normally the white part of the eye and the inside of the eyelids. We also call this type of redness conjunctivitis.

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Causes and results of pinkeye

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¯ Pinkeye can be due to an infection from bacteria or viruses, allergies, or chemicals that get into the eye.

¯ No matter what the cause, it will result in redness, tearing, itching and often a discharge of watery or — in the case of some infections — thick white or yellow fluid. This is affectionately referred to as pus coming out of the eye that can sometimes cause the lids to stick together.

¯ If caused by an infectious germ, pinkeye can be contagious and will spread by direct contact from one infected person to another or in the case of viruses, by coughing and sneezing.

If you find your child with these symptoms of eye discomfort, having them seen by your child’s health care professional can help determine the cause and in turn the treatment.

No matter what the cause, all children benefit from cleaning out the eye discharge with a clean cool wet washcloth. If it is infectious due to bacteria, then prescription antibiotic eye drops, or ointment might be recommended.

If a bacterial cause is found, children can return to school after one day of treatment with the drops or ointment as long as eye drainage also stops. If the pinkeye is due to a virus, this may take longer for eye drainage to stop — keeping your child home longer.

What if pinkeye doesn’t improve? If a child doesn’t improve in one to two days or develops a fever, blisters around the eye, or complains of severe eye pain, blurred vision, or increased tenderness and redness around the eye, then please return to your child’s health care professional for further evaluation and treatment.

Of course, the best way to deal with your child getting pinkeye or conjunctivitis is to not let it happen. So, have your child wash their hands after interacting with anyone who may have pinkeye and if they themselves develop pinkeye, they should be washing their hands as well.

Hopefully, tips like these will allow you to know what to do in a blink of an eye the next time you are worried about your child having pinkeye

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Lewis First, MD, is Chief of Pediatrics at The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. You can also catch “First with Kids” weekly on WOKO 98.9FM and NBC5.