Q: For mild allergic conjunctivitis, an oral over-the-counter allergy medication may be enough to clear your symptoms within several hours to a few days. If it doesn't go away quickly, it's probably bacterial or viral. Try an antihistamine. The body reacts to allergens by producing chemicals called histamines, and these chemicals are the culprit behind pink eye and other allergy symptoms. An antihistamine reduces these levels or blocks the histamines completely, thereby stopping your symptoms. Use a decongestant. While decongestants do not stop the allergen from affecting you, they do control inflammation. In doing so, they can help prevent eye tissue from getting inflamed. Whenever drainage begins to build in your eye, you need to wipe it away to prevent bacteria from festering. Wipe the eye starting at the inside corner, next to the nose. Gently pass over the entire eye toward the outside corner of the eye. This wipes the discharge away from your tear ducts and safely out of your eye. Wash your hands before and after cleaning your eyes. Use a clean surface for each wipe or pass to avoid getting discharge back in the eye. Immediately discard tissues or disposable eye wipes. Toss any washcloths into the laundry immediately after use. "Artificial tears" can relieve symptoms and flush the eye out. Most over-the-counter eye drops are mild saline lubricants designed to replace tears. They can soothe dryness associated with pink eye, and they can also wash the eye of contaminants that could complicate and prolong viral, bacterial, or allergic conjunctivitis. Some over-the-counter eye drops also contain antihistamines that are useful in treating allergic conjunctivitis. Soak a soft, clean, lint-free cloth in water. Wring it out to remove excess water and apply it to closed eyes using gentle pressure. Cold compresses are usually best for allergic conjunctivitis, but warm compresses might feel better. Both warm and cold compresses reduce swelling in the event of viral or bacterial conjunctivitis. Note that compresses do increase the risk of spreading the infection from one eye to the other, so you should use a clean compress for each application and a different compress for each eye. If you wear contacts, you should remove them for the duration of your pink eye. Contacts can irritate your eyes, causing further complications, and may trap bacteria causing bacterial conjunctivitis in your eye. Disposable contacts might need to be discarded if they were used at all while you had bacterial or viral conjunctivitis. Non-disposable contacts should be cleansed thoroughly before you reuse them. Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis are both contagious, and you can be reinfected after becoming well if the illness has spread to other members of your household. Do not touch your eyes with your hands. If you do touch your eyes or your face, wash your hands immediately afterward. Also, wash your hands after applying eye medication. Use a clean washcloth and towel every day. Change your pillowcases daily for the duration of the infection. Do not share any products that touch your eye. This includes eye drops, towels, linens, eye cosmetics, contacts, lens solutions or containers, or handkerchiefs. Do not use eye cosmetics until you get rid of the pink eye completely. Otherwise, you could reinfect yourself with those cosmetics. If any eye makeup was used when you had pink eye, discard it. Stay away from school or work for a few days. Most people with viral conjunctivitis can return after 3 to 5 days, once symptoms start to improve. Most people with bacterial conjunctivitis return after symptoms vanish or 24 hours after treating the symptoms with an antibiotic.
A: Try taking allergy medicine. Clean the infected eye regularly. Apply over-the-counter eye drops. Use a cold or warm compress. Remove your contacts. Prevent the condition from spreading.

Q: Different headaches are treated in different ways. Typically, you can determine the type of headache you have on your own based on your specific symptoms. If you have difficulty, though, you can also ask your doctor. They should be able to identify the type of headache you're having by a description of your symptoms. Common types of headaches include: Tension: The most common type of headache. Caused by muscle tightness in the back of the neck or scalp. Feels like a tight band around your head. Pain may also be concentrated in your forehead, temples, or the back of your head. Sinus: Caused by inflamed sinuses due to allergies, a cold, or the flu. You may feel pain over your forehead, around your nose and eyes, over your cheeks, or in your upper teeth. Pain may increase when you stoop forward. Migraine: Caused by many different triggers that vary from person to person. Pulsating pain of disabling intensity, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. If untreated, typically lasts the whole day. Cluster: Relatively rare; unknown cause. Attacks result in up to 8 headaches a day for a 1 to 3 month period. Pain always on one side of the head and very severe. Typically accompanied by a red, watery eye on the headache side. May also be accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. Either a warm compress or ice can ease a tension headache by helping to relax the muscles in your head and face. If you're using cold therapy, wrap a bag of ice or frozen vegetables in a towel to protect your skin. Regardless of whether you're using a warm compress or ice, don't leave it on your head for more than 15 to 20 minutes. Heat improves circulation and increases blood flow, whereas cold restricts blood flow to reduce inflammation. Cold therapy is usually best for sinus headaches and other headaches caused by inflammation, but can also ease tension headaches. However, heat is typically better for tension headaches. If you're using a warm compress, the water should be no more than 120F (49C) for adults or 105F (41C) for children. You can also use a hot water bottle or gel pack. Inhaling steam loosens mucus to help reduce congestion. If you have a sinus headache, the steam from the shower can also help relieve inflammation in your sinuses. If you don't like hot showers, try boiling water and leaning over the pot to inhale the steam. This can also relieve congestion, although you may find your pain temporarily worsens when you bend over. If the air in your home is overly dry, it can cause sinus congestion, which can lead to sinus headaches. A humidifier helps keep the air moist so it's easier for you to breathe. If you use a humidifier, check the humidity of your home regularly to maintain the right humidity level. Generally, the air in your home should be between 30% and 55%. Make sure you change the water in your humidifier so it's fresh, using bottled water if possible. Clean your humidifier at least once a week. Otherwise, it can grow mold, which can cause significant health problems.
A:
Evaluate your symptoms to determine what kind of headache you have. Use hot or cold therapy to relax tense muscles. Take a steamy shower to treat a congestion headache. Use a humidifier to ease sinus dryness and irritation.