Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is an eye condition caused by infection or allergies. It usually gets better in a couple of weeks without treatment.

Check if you have conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is also known as red or pink eye.

It usually affects both eyes and makes them:

bloodshot
burn or feel gritty
produce pus that sticks to lashes
itch
water

A sticky eye producing pus — Conjunctivitis that produces sticky pus is contagious.

A red and gritty eye caused by conjunctivitis — If eyes are red and feel gritty, the conjunctivitis is also usually contagious.

A red and watery eye caused by conjunctivitis — Conjunctivitis caused by allergies like hay fever makes eyes red and watery but is not contagious.

If you're not sure it's conjunctivitis

Other conditions can cause red eyes.

How to treat conjunctivitis yourself

There are things you can do to help ease your symptoms.

Use clean cotton wool (1 piece for each eye). Boil water and then let it cool down before you:

gently rub your eyelashes to clean off crusts
hold a cold flannel on your eyes for a few minutes to cool them down

Do not wear contact lenses until your eyes are better.

Stop infectious conjunctivitis from spreading

Do

wash hands regularly with warm soapy water
wash pillows and face cloths in hot water and detergent

Don't

do not share towels and pillows
do not rub your eyes

Staying away from work or school

You do not need to avoid work or school unless you or your child are feeling very unwell.

A pharmacist can help with conjunctivitis

Speak to a pharmacist about conjunctivitis. They can give you advice and suggest eyedrops or antihistamines to help with your symptoms.

If you need treatment for a child under 2, you'll need a prescription from a GP.

Find a pharmacy

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

your baby has red eyes – get an urgent appointment if your baby is less than 28 days old
you wear contact lenses and have conjunctivitis symptoms as well as spots on your eyelids – you might be allergic to the lenses
your symptoms have not cleared up after 2 weeks

Urgent advice: Get advice from 111 now if you have:

pain in your eyes
sensitivity to light
changes in your vision, like wavy lines or flashing
intense redness in 1 eye or both eyes
a baby less than 28 days old with red eyes

These can be signs of a more serious eye problem.

111 will tell you what to do. They can arrange a phone call from a nurse or doctor if you need one.

Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.

Other ways to get help

Treatment from a GP

Treatment will depend on the cause of your conjunctivitis.

If it's a bacterial infection you might be prescribed antibiotics. But these will not work if it's caused by a virus (viral conjunctivitis) or an allergy.

Some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can cause conjunctivitis. This type takes longer to clear up.

Page last reviewed: 9 January 2018
Next review due: 9 January 2021