What should you know about toxic conjunctivitis?

The conjunctiva is the thin clear tissue covering the white of the eye and the inner eyelids. Fumes, splashes, smoke, cosmetics, cleaning products, or contaminated water can irritate it. Toxic conjunctivitis may cause Red Eye, burning, watering, gritty discomfort, swollen eyelids, or Eye Discharge. It is different from infection, although irritation and infection can look similar. Light Sensitivity, marked pain, blurred vision, or an injury may point to a deeper eye problem rather than simple surface inflammation.

Move away from the irritant and rinse the affected eye with clean, lukewarm running water. Remove contact lenses while rinsing if they come out easily, and do not rub the eye. Wash your hands before and after touching the area. Avoid sharing towels, eye makeup, or drops, and pause cosmetics and contact lenses until symptoms settle. A GP Consultation or eye assessment can distinguish irritation from infection and decide whether Antibiotic Treatment is appropriate; antibiotics do not treat chemical irritation itself.

Get urgent eye care after a chemical splash, especially from a strong cleaning or industrial product, or if rinsing does not relieve symptoms. Seek urgent help for reduced vision, severe pain, pronounced Light Sensitivity, an irregular pupil, inability to open the eye, or a foreign body that will not wash out. Prompt assessment is also needed when symptoms worsen, discharge becomes thick, or only one eye is severely affected.

Tell the clinician exactly what touched the eye, when it happened, how long you rinsed, and whether contact lenses were worn. Ask whether the cornea is affected, which drops are suitable, and when it is safe to resume lenses or eye makeup.