Are antibiotics always necessary for pink eye?

Question:

How do you know if you have a viral or bacterial infection? Last time I had pink eye it cleared up on it's own, without antibiotics. I'm not sure if it's going to clear up again now, but I was just wondering if antibiotics are necessary for MOST pink eye infections.

Thanks for any advice.

Answers:
Antibiotics are not always neccessary. They help clear it up faster though. Most always it will clear up on its own. They sell some mildly medicated drops at the store similasin i believe. I bought it at Target, worked fine and no visit to the doctor. You could try that and if it doesnt clear it up i would call a doctor.

Not really, I have had it and I did not do anything different then normal and it cleared up.

Cleared up or was dormant? There are eye ointments for clearing up pink eye, see your doctor and try to keep your hands clean when treating the eye with ointment.

Well, first of all, pink eye is as infectious of a virus as they get. I would hope you would take the antibiotics so that every human being that comes in contact with you or touches anything you touch while you have it, doesnt get it.

Its only courteous to get medications, so that others dont get it and so that it doesnt spread...and it spreads like wildfire.

I was in bootcamp and one guy got it...the WHOLE outfit got it within 48 hours and it was miserable.

I can give you an old solution to Pink Eye. I had it many times as a child. Make yourself some tea. When you are done, let the tea bag cool. Place the tea bag on your closed eye. There is a type of acid or enzyme in the tea that will help draw out the infection. This sounds crazy, but I swear it works.

if you have true pink eye then yes you do need antibiotics to clear it up. it's a bacterial infection and highly contagious

if your previous issue cleared up on it's own then chances are you did not have pink eye

gentamycin ointment or drops is usually what is prescribed and it can only be given to you by a dr

I don't think prescribed medicines are always necessary for pink eye. I am an avid user of Similasan. They make many eye, nose and ear relief products one being a pink eye medicine. It works great and for me usually clears up in a few days and provides relief for the itchy feeling. That and it is a fairly cheap remedy.

Pink is very catching and can be given to others. because of your eyes are very important go to the doctor.

Are antibiotics always necessary for pink eye?

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