How To Prevent Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)

Change Pillowcases Often

Pink eye can cause a discharge from the eyes that may harden into a crust overnight. For this reason, patients should change their pillowcases often. Ideally, pillowcases should be changed at least every other night, and some pink eye patients may wish to change their pillowcases every night. To ensure enough clean pillowcases are available, it can be helpful to wash all the pillowcases the patient has available at the start of their illness. These can be washed together, and this will reduce the amount of laundry the patient needs to do over the course of their conjunctivitis infection. If the patient does not have a clean pillowcase for a night, turning the used pillowcase to the opposite side or turning it inside out may be beneficial. In addition, some individuals find placing a plastic bag over the top of the pillowcase can save time; a new plastic bag should be used for each night, and the used bag should be disposed of each morning.