If it's goopy and has the yellow or green gunk, that is usually an indication of a bacterial infection. Just red & irritated is more so related to a viral. Both are highly contagious and can remain so up to 12 days. It can last up to 3 weeks...just like a cold. It usually takes a couple days for the symptoms to show up.

It could be spread by a sneeze, hand to hand contact, touching something that has the germs on it...just like with a cold. Very possible GS got it by just being exposed to the virus' that are out there this time of year. Your DH caught it from GS and you from DH.

Everytime I've had it, it was bacterial and needed antibiotics to clear. Bacterial form is contagious, and like every contagion has a gestation period as it passes from host to host. It's not always a systemic contagion, so you can get it in just one eye, both eyes, or one eye and then days later the other eye. My bet would be that GS had already been exposed to the contagion prior to visiting, and then passed the contagion to your DH, who then passed it to you. Some forms are hardy enough outside of a host for a short time that you can catch it from touching something that an infected person touched after rubbing their eye, like a shopping cart handle, and then when you rub your eye it's got it's new host. The smoky fireplace likely was involved just by inspiring your DH to rub his eyes after touching something your GS touched after rubbing his eyes, thereby picking up the contagion.

Just a side note - if you wear contact lenses, toss out the pair you were wearing when your eye started getting goopy/itchy/sore, so that you don't get a recurrence after this episode is cleared - some forms of the bacteria can survive the disinfecting solutions, too.

Conjunctivitis can be caused by something getting in the eye that irritates it. DGS came down with it week 2 when he got an eyelash in his eye/on his eye. One eye had some discharge, but never crusty. Treatment for it was an eye cream for a few weeks. Neither DD2 or I got it. (fyi, it wasn't neonatal conjunctivitis.)

Conjunctivitis does not have to be "pink eye," when one or both eyes are red, etc.

It can be viral, bacterial, allergic, chemical or neonatal.

So you all don't think the dog gave it to us? My dh's eyes crusted in the morning (I know, gross, lol) but he was put on new drops today and he thinks it's getting better. He has to take drops every 2 hours on day one. Then 4 x day afterwards.

Allison, my GS had drops first, then cream afterwards. His cleared up in a matter of a week!

I'm getting over it AGAIN as I type this. I just had it a few weeks ago. I have to use drops from the Dr. but then it clears up fast.

As mentioned above it can be bacterial, viral, etc. I actually thought I had a huge scratch in my eye this time. In the past, I've only every experienced the red eyes and crusting.

I've always tossed my contacts and mascara and disinfected everything else. This time, the Dr. told me to get rid of everything. Somehow I got it back and I actually think it was from my eyeshadows. Washed towels, sheets, disinfected the house, tossed the contacts, cases, mascaras, 5 eye makeup brushes, and 17 eyeshadows. I've had it with pink eye.

I wish you all a speedy recovery. It's no fun and literally a pain in the ...eye. :(

Oh no, Shee!! I never would have thought you could get it from your makeup after having it once. Not only painful, but expensive!

Still not sure if I have it. The right eye is watering pretty good, but it's a thick water. No pain or redness. Hubby said it took a few days to really kick in.

Good luck!

What I know is you need to see a doctor if you have symptoms. Watering doesn't sound like it - at least not the bacterial kind. You'll know by the discharge from the eye, usually itching and irritated. If it is bacterial, it is very contagious. My husband had it a few years back (we have no idea where he got it, we didn't know anyone who had it), and the doctor stressed to us about washing towels, sheets, etc. So Shee, you did good! Hope this is it this time!!

Dogs get conjunctivitis. People get conjunctivitis.But,according to my research--the bacteria and/or viruses (it can be either) that CAUSE conjuntivitis are species specific. So dogs cannot give people pink-eye. People cannot give dogs pink-eye.

Your dog is not to blame--and the child in question was probably incubating when he came to visit. Unless it's allergic...and then it COULD be the dog if GS is allergic to dogs.