What should you know about recurring conjunctivitis?

Conjunctivitis inflames the clear surface over the eye and inner eyelids. Viral or bacterial episodes can spread between people through hands, towels, cosmetics, and shared surfaces. Allergic inflammation may recur whenever pollen, dust, animals, or another trigger is present. Ongoing irritation from contact lenses, smoke, or eye products can look similar. Discharge, itching, watering, redness, and eyelid sticking help describe the pattern, but symptoms can overlap.

Wash hands often, avoid rubbing your eyes, and use a clean tissue or washcloth for discharge. Do not share towels, pillows, cosmetics, or eye drops, and replace eye makeup used during an episode. Stop contact lenses until symptoms have cleared and a clinician advises restarting. A GP consultation can help distinguish infection from allergy or irritation. Antibiotic treatment is useful only for selected bacterial infections and should be prescribed or recommended after assessment.

Seek urgent eye assessment for significant pain, vision change, strong light sensitivity, injury, chemical exposure, or swelling around the eye. Contact-lens wearers with pain or worsening redness should seek prompt care. Arrange a review when episodes keep returning, discharge is heavy, symptoms affect both eyes repeatedly, or redness does not settle. Keep children with suspected contagious eye infection away from close contact according to local school or childcare advice.

Does this pattern suggest allergic, viral, or bacterial conjunctivitis? Could contact lenses, cosmetics, or another irritant be contributing? Do I need a GP consultation, eye examination, or antibiotic treatment, and when can I safely use lenses again?