To think ‘cold in the eye’ is not a real medical problem

[Llamasally]

MIL, who lets say can be quite partial to an old wives tale/fake news, has just informed me that toddler DS has ‘cold in his eye’. I asked does she mean she thinks he has conjunctivitis- no she doesn’t. She insists this is a real, recognised ailment. Am I BU to think this is bollocks?

Never heard of it

She cray.

An eye cold is the viral form of conjunctivitis, or “pink eye.” It is an infection of the conjunctiva

My grandmother always referred to conjunctivitis as a cold in the eye. I think it's just an old fashioned name for the same thing. TBF I often get conjunctivitis when I have a cold.

No such thing.

I think this is related to the cold in the kidneys that you get if you don’t tuck your vest in.

Ok so far so good, assuming it is indeed made up how do I expose this as not a thing? Maybe I’ll ask her what the treatment is, although she’ll probably make that up too

Where’s she from? I’m in the NE and I’ve heard of it.
It’s for when you get a random watery eye. Not gunky like conjunctivitis but more like constant watery after being out in the wind. Cold in the eye.

Ok she is wrong to think it's a different thing to conjunctivitis, but I love the old fashioned name Cold in the eye.

@TotheletterofthelawTHELETTER no not NE - maybe this is what she means though. Which is just usually described as a watery eye I think. Which we can all see quite easily. She announced it like she was imparting some well-qualified diagnosis.

😂😂 maybe she has a secret book of colloquialisms for minor ailments.
She probably just likes to sound important.

@TotallySuper

“She cray” made me laugh out loud

[quote Justheretoaskaquestion91]@TotallySuper

“She cray” made me laugh out loud[/quote]
I aim to please!

@TotheletterofthelawTHELETTER

Where’s she from? I’m in the NE and I’ve heard of it. It’s for when you get a random watery eye. Not gunky like conjunctivitis but more like constant watery after being out in the wind. Cold in the eye.

Yep! I'm in the south west.

One of my friends gets really swollen eyes when she has a cold. Not the same as conjunctivitis. Maybe she means that?

Did she mean he has poorly eyes like where you can see someone is ill because their eyes just look poorly? That is not an actual illness or diagnosis but it could be described as cold in the eye - it has to go with being ill though, not just a random thing on its own.

@TotheletterofthelawTHELETTER

Where’s she from? I’m in the NE and I’ve heard of it. It’s for when you get a random watery eye. Not gunky like conjunctivitis but more like constant watery after being out in the wind. Cold in the eye.

Yeah, my grandparents (Scotland) warned me of this as a child, I think when laying on the floor or putting my eye at keyholes too long! Told I'd get a cold in my eye, literally from having my eye in the path of draughts. I have had the watery eye too haha so think there's something in it.

Lots of babies and toddlers have blocked tear ducts and when they get a cold they get gunky eyes, could that be what she's referring to?

DD always got sticky gunky eyes as soon as she started to get unwell, it was usually the first sign a full on cold was about to hit.

It's quite common to get a viral conjunctivitis particularly with a cold.

I've heard of it. My grandmother used to say it referring to when you had really watery eyes and maybe sometimes slight tiny sniffles, but it didn't really develop into anything.

I call it a draught in the eye!

Where I come from, North Notts/Derby’s, a cold in your eye would be conjunctivitis, a cold in your kidneys would be a water infection. Definitely caused by not wearing a vest according to my gran.

@MrsSchadenfreude

I think this is related to the cold in the kidneys that you get if you don’t tuck your vest in.

Oh I LOVE a tucked in vest. So cosy and makes me feel proper.

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo

Lots of babies and toddlers have blocked tear ducts and when they get a cold they get gunky eyes, could that be what she's referring to?

DD always got sticky gunky eyes as soon as she started to get unwell, it was usually the first sign a full on cold was about to hit.

I was going to describe exactly the same thing. One of my dc still gets ‘snot’ coming out of their eye when they get a cold.

Yeah, my grandparents (Scotland) warned me of this as a child, I think when laying on the floor or putting my eye at keyholes too long! My Nan would say 'Don't be a Keyhole Kate or you'll get a cold in your eye'.