Infective conjunctivitis - what should I look out for?
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- Serious infections. Most conjunctival infections are not serious, do not harm the eye, and clear in a few days. However, some infections such as herpes or chlamydia persist longer than usual, are more serious, and need special treatment. These may start off like a common conjunctivitis but become worse.
- Other eye problems. Sometimes it is difficult for a doctor to tell the difference between infective and allergic conjunctivitis. They can appear very similar. This is often a problem in the hay fever season when red, watery eyes are common. Also, some other eye conditions can cause a red eye and may be mistaken at first for conjunctivitis.
Therefore, see a doctor if any of the following occur.
- Symptoms do not settle within a few days.
- Symptoms change (for example, light starts to hurt your eyes).
- Pain becomes worse (mild soreness rather than pain is usual with common conjunctivitis).
- Spots or blisters develop on the skin next to the eye.
- Your vision becomes affected.
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