Conjunctivitis

Infective conjunctivitis can be caused by a virus, bacteria or, in rare cases, by a sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea. The most common symptoms include reddening and watering of the eyes. You may also notice a sticky coating on your eyelashes, particularly when you first wake up in the morning, which can make your eyes feel like they’re stuck together.

Infective conjunctivitis is a very common condition and is responsible for 35% of all eye-related problems recorded in GP surgeries. It is most common in children and the elderly. Infective conjunctivitis rarely requires any medical treatment because the infection will normally heal by itself, usually within one or two weeks. For most people, the condition does not cause any complications. Those most at risk of developing complications from infective conjunctivitis are newborn babies, who are 28 days old or younger. An infection in the eye at a very young age can cause permanent damage. If you have infective conjunctivitis that is caused by a sexually transmitted infection (STI), your condition may last several months, rather than weeks.

Irritant conjunctivitis occurs when an irritant such as chlorine or an eyelash gets into your eyes. This can make your eyes sore and if you rub them it can irritate them more. Avoiding the irritant and not rubbing your eyes will help. However, if your eyes are very red and painful, you should seek medical help immediately.

Allergic conjunctivitis occurs when your eye comes into contact with an ‘allergen’. An allergen is a particular substance that makes your body’s immune system react abnormally, causing irritation and inflammation in the affected body part.

• Try to avoid exposure to pollen, staying indoors and refraining from parks and gardens when the pollen count is high.
• Wrap around glasses or sunglasses can help prevent pollen from entering your eyes.
• If you are exposed, then remove the pollen as quickly as possible by washing your hands, face and hair. Unpreserved lubricating eye drops can help to wash it out of your eyes.
• Try to avoid rubbing your eyes as it can make things worse and don’t wear contact lenses or eye makeup.
• Cold compresses such as refrigerated eye lid masks, ice packs or slices of cold cucumber can help to alleviate symptoms.
• Antihistamine eye drops or mast cell stabilisers are available from pharmacists without prescription. They should ideally be unpreserved in individual vials because the preservatives used in multi-dose bottles can themselves cause inflammation.
• There is evidence that steroid based nasal sprays (also available from pharmacists) can give relief to red itchy eyes and there are numerous antihistamine tablets to help with the general symptoms of hay fever. It is extremely important to seek advice from your optician, before using any of these medicines, because each formulation has different pros and cons and they may interact with other medication.
• If one or both eyes remain red or sore in the absence of hay fever symptoms then you should see an ophthalmologist.