Pinkeye can make your eye red, itchy, and crusty.

Taking care of it at home can help you feel better and can keep you from spreading it to your other eye, or to other people.

First, always wash your hands well before and after you touch your eye.

This will help keep the pinkeye germs from spreading.

Put a cold or warm cloth, whichever feels better, on your eye a few times a day to help with pain.

Use a clean cloth each time.

If your eye is crusty, use moist cotton or a damp cloth to wipe the crust away.

Wipe from the inside corner of the eye to the outside.

Use a clean part of the cloth for each wipe.

And be careful not to touch your other eye with the cloth.

Throw out any eye makeup you were using when you got the infection.

Toss out the contact lenses you were wearing, or sterilize them and their storage case.

Don't wear any contacts until at least 2 days after your symptoms are gone.

Don't share towels, pillows, or bed linens, and use clean ones every day until your eye has cleared up.

Pinkeye usually gets better in about a week.

See a doctor if eye pain and sensitivity to light get worse in the first 5 to 7 days, or if you have any symptoms that don't get better in 7 days.