Eye Infections

[Guest TinklePrincess]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm not sure if anyone's on to answer my question but I'd really appreciate it if there is!

 

I woke up this morning and couldn't even open my left eye (I'm sorry if I go into too much detail here) I ended up pulling out 3 eyelashes trying and ended up getting a warm flannel. They were fused together with some sort of yellowish crust. It was also really red, like on the water-line, and bloodshot.

 

I've never had conjunctivitis or eye infections before so I don't know if that's what it is. They were a bit blurry yesterday and it felt like I had something in my eye, like when you have an eyelash or something. I called work to see if I was OK to go in and they said yes, I should still go.

 

I went into work and it didn't bother me too much, although I've had a cold for almost two weeks now so I'm a bit under the weather anyway. A colleague mentioned that it seemed to be looking more red and puffy. There hasn't really been any gunk - I always thought it was like snot from your eyes! (Sorry!)

 

I got home and the other eye was also red and bloodshot and there was a some kind of little white-ish mucus on the eyeball which I wiped off.

 

My partner is concerned and doesn't think I should go in tomorrow as he thinks it's contagious - is there any guidance or anything that could point me in the right direction? I haven't managed to go to the doctors as I had to go into work.

[Panders]

It does seem to sound like conjunctivitis, and although your employer has said come in, I really don't think you should have as it is highly contagious, so do make sure you keep to your own towel etc. at home or your lovely boyfriend will get it too. Left untreated you could be in for a few problems.

 

If you cannot get to your G.P., you can buy over the counter stuff at your Pharmacy now, and make sure you see the pharmacist too, so that at least someone with suitable knowledge has had a look at you.

 

Hope you feel better soon, sounds like you are really run down and need a little break - any chance of half term or are you a full day care setting?

[Guest TinklePrincess]

Thank you Panders - we're full day care

My immune system has always been terrible - I'm surprised I've not had it before! I was trying to find some conclusive guidance or even legislation but there doesn't seem to be any!

I hate calling in sick. I had hoped that they'd take pity on me today and send me home but they didn't. I do feel genuinely exhausted and I haven't been sleeping very well for 4 nights now (that's unheard of for me!) I did tell my manager but she didn't say anything... I have a week off in January! Let's hope I can hold on for a few months!

[Panders]

Hmm to my mind, your Manager is burying her head in the sand - your setting must have a policy on Health and exclusion times and normally conjunctivitis is one of the things we would send a child home for, like d and v, 48 hours since the last bout of either before they can return, this policy works for the adults in the setting too, not just the children.

 

Your body is trying to tell you something - get to that GP Tinkleprincess!

[HappyMaz]

From memory though, I believe that conjunctivitis is no longer considered to be an excludable illness. Is definitely worth trying to get an emergency appointment at the doctor's though - he might sign you off or suggest you take a few days self-certified.

 

Hope it gets better soon!

[Panders]

Really? I still send them home ::1a they just look so uncomfortable. The eye drops stuff does work very quickly, so they are back in within a day or two.

[narnia]

Really! Read here: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Conjunctivitis-infective/Pages/Introduction.aspx

[Rea]

I seem to remember being told that as soon as treatment starts its ok to let children back, maybe your manager is thinking along those lines. I'd have said stay away though, I hate people going into work sick, I don't want to catch anything that might ruin my weekend! Hope you're feeling better soon

[Guest]

As a short term 'fix' bathing your eyes in cold tea is very soothing and helps to clear the stickiness.... use a separate cotton wool ball or pad, soaked in tea, for each eye.

 

Hope you get better soon.

 

Nona

[Mouseketeer]

The HPA poster we display (you can just phone your local one and they'll send it free) does say no exclusion period, along with other contagious infections, but I call parents to collect ASAP, our policy says 24hrs from start of treatment, we have a list of what we feel is acceptable time off in the policy and next to those on HPA chart write 'see policy', a right carry on with chicken pox a couple of years ago.

[fimbo]

when some of our children have had it, the GP has told parents they can come back in as soon as treatment has started...so some stick the drops in whilst in the waiting room, them try and bring them straight back in !

Conjunctivitus -although not excludable -its very uncomfortable and sore, and we suggest that children do not come in until they are no longer 'gunky'.

I had it once, and it was awful, id suggest you stay at home until you feel better - the drops will help.

[JacquieL]

We always allowed children back in once treatment had started but I know we were very careful about hygiene, but as we know that isn't easy with children!

Please get it checked out by your GP if it isn't clearing up, whilst it sounds like a simple eye infection to me, I am really careful with eyes having seen an eye infection develop very rapidly into cellulitis.

[Inge]

last poster I saw had it also as no exclusion period.

 

if you cannot get to GP and I know some are hard to get appointments with, do go and see a pharmacist. they may be able to give medication over the counter and must say ours are very good , or can advise if you need to see a GP.

 

And personally, I feel if you are run down and unwell, no reason not to self certify a few days off to recover,worst case is really a few days wages lost, .could save you being off for weeks later if you continue to work while unwell.

 

Take care of yourself.. and listen to your body, no one will thank you for working when ill.

[Guest TinklePrincess]

Thank you all.

 

I plucked up the courage to call work this morning and tell them I didn't feel up to going in (it has spread to the other eye overnight) but I was told that I still needed to go. I went in, but was neither use nor ornament as I'm at the stage now where I'm just dazed and unfocussed! I managed to get an appointment later in the morning and left work, which they weren't very pleased about, but as I said, I didn't want to just go get some antibiotics over the counter if I didn't need them!

 

The doctor had a good look and said that she thinks it's just basic conjunctivitis and gave me some drops I came home and slept for two hours - that'll put me on if I struggle to sleep tonight again! Work didn't seem happy that I didn't go back in the afternoon but I desperately needed to sleep! I guess I'll have to contend with that on Monday.

 

Apparently (according to my manager) it's not as contagious in adults as they don't go around rubbing their eyes, but I was concerned because all I needed was for a child to stick their hands in my face, which they do, and I'd be having even more sleepless nights with worry!

[Panders]

Really! Read here: http://www.nhs.uk/co...troduction.aspx

Thank you Narnia, I am still quite happy for them to be off for a session though while they get the drops sorted out and underway, whilst not excludable, I still feel a duty of care to the other children and if it stops just one from being infected that makes me happy.

[catma]

Your manager should not be pressurising you to go ito work if you are not well. You are able to make your own decision about going in or not and if you say you are unwell then they have to manage it. Clue in their title there!

If you are off sick too often they should have procedures to deal with that too. It's not about them permitting you to go or not go into work.

Neither is your manager a qualified medic (unless they are?!) so they cannot make judgements about your capacity to work or not. That is for a doctor to do.

 

Cx

[sunnyday]

Your manager should not be pressurising you to go ito work if you are not well. You are able to make your own decision about going in or not and if you say you are unwell then they have to manage it. Clue in their title there!

If you are off sick too often they should have procedures to deal with that too. It's not about them permitting you to go or not go into work.

Neither is your manager a qualified medic (unless they are?!) so they cannot make judgements about your capacity to work or not. That is for a doctor to do.

 

Cx

 

I wholeheartedly agree with catma - I am a manager and no way jose would I behave like that hope your eyes are soon bright and sparkling again! :1b

[narnia]

Panders, I agree.........................I always send children home if they have conjunctivitis and ask for them to stay away for 24 hours while they start treatment. I ask this to protect everyone in the setting.

[zigzag]

We have had a couple of cases of this in the last two weeks, children started with a cold and then conjunctivitis, I always ask parents to keep them away until the eyes stop gunking!! which is really fast as soon as they start the drops. And I find it baffaling that there is now no exclusion period.

[Inge]

if you are ill and unwell enough to go into work you should not be asking if you can have the tie off.. time to get proactive and look after yourself.. ring and tell them you will not be in.. they are in no position to say if you are well enough to go in or not. That is your call or a doctors.. they are there to sort things out if something like this happens... not tell you to go to work ill...

 

I know when you feel off the last thing you an to do is upset or cause issues.. but you really do need to look after yourself, no job is worth your health..

[Guest TinklePrincess]

Day two of the drops every two hours and I think it's clearing up nicely

Thank you all for your kind words and advice - I'm so glad it wasn't yet another allergy as the doctor was concerned about!

 

Not looking forward to going into work on Monday though! I actually feel a bit sick at the thought! Hopefully I won't be there for much longer...