Conjunctivitis treatments: what to know

Conjunctivitis may be viral, bacterial, allergic or caused by irritation. Those causes can produce similar redness, watering and discharge but respond to different approaches. Viral or irritant symptoms often call for cleaning, hand hygiene and relief of discomfort. Allergy-related symptoms improve when triggers are reduced and suitable allergy treatment is considered. Bacterial infection may be treated with prescribed antibiotics after assessment, but antibiotic drops do not treat viral or allergic conjunctivitis.

Treatment also depends on pain, vision, contact-lens use and examination findings. A red eye is not automatically an infection that needs antibiotics.

Use clean water and a fresh pad to remove discharge, with a separate pad for each eye. Wash hands before and after eye care, avoid rubbing, and do not share towels, cosmetics or eye drops. Cool compresses can soothe irritation; appropriate lubricating drops may help dryness. Leave contact lenses out until the eye has recovered and a clinician advises restarting them. A GP consultation can identify whether the problem is infection, allergy, irritation or another eye condition. Use prescribed treatment exactly as directed and do not use someone else’s medicine.

Seek urgent care for significant pain, reduced or persistent blurred vision, intense light sensitivity, injury, chemical exposure or severe swelling. A painful red eye in a contact-lens wearer needs prompt assessment. Arrange review when symptoms worsen, fail to improve, or repeatedly return. Bring any drops you have used so the clinician can check what was taken.

Ask what cause is suspected, whether medicine is needed, how to apply drops without touching the bottle tip to the eye, how long to avoid lenses and makeup, and which symptoms should trigger urgent reassessment.