Patient information · Urgent care
Conjunctivitis and red eye
which red eyes can wait, and which cannot
Most red eyes are conjunctivitis: gritty, sticky, uncomfortable, and better within one to two weeks without treatment. A small number are something more serious, and they are distinguished by three things — genuine pain, changed vision, and dislike of light.
Seek same-day assessment if you have
- pain in the eye rather than grittiness or irritation
- any change or blurring of vision that does not clear on blinking
- marked sensitivity to light
- a red, painful eye and you wear contact lenses
- a chemical splash or injury to the eye, or something stuck in it
- halos around lights, nausea and a severe headache with a red eye
- a red eye in a baby under 28 days old
Contact lens wearers with a red painful eye need examining urgently, as a corneal ulcer can develop quickly and threaten sight. Remove the lens and do not put it back in. In an emergency call 999, or go to the Royal London Hospital Emergency Department, Whitechapel Road, London E1 1FR — Moorfields Eye Hospital also runs a walk-in emergency eye service.
Telling the types apart
- Viral — the commonest. Watery discharge, often starts in one eye and spreads to the other, frequently with a cold or sore throat and a tender gland in front of the ear. Can take two to three weeks to clear.
- Bacterial — thicker yellow or green discharge, lids stuck together in the morning. Usually settles within a week without treatment.
- Allergic — both eyes, intensely itchy, swollen lids, often with sneezing and a runny nose. Itch is the giveaway; infective conjunctivitis is gritty rather than itchy.
Antibiotic drops are usually not needed
Most bacterial conjunctivitis clears on its own within a week, and antibiotic drops shorten it only slightly. They are worth using when symptoms are severe or prolonged, in contact lens wearers, or where there is a particular risk. If drops have not been prescribed for you, that is a considered decision rather than an oversight.
Self-care
- Bathe the lids with cooled boiled water and clean cotton wool, using a fresh piece for each wipe and each eye, wiping from the inner corner outwards.
- A cool compress for viral or allergic conjunctivitis; some people prefer a warm one for sticky lids.
- Lubricating drops from a pharmacy ease grittiness.
- An antihistamine drop or tablet for allergic conjunctivitis.
- Do not wear contact lenses until 24 hours after all symptoms have gone. Throw away the pair you were wearing, and any opened solution.
- Do not share towels, pillowcases or flannels. Wash hands often — conjunctivitis spreads very readily.
School and work
Children with conjunctivitis do not need to be kept off school or nursery, and public health guidance is clear on this point. If a school insists, we can provide a letter. Adults need not stay off work unless their role makes it impractical.
Other causes of a red eye
- Dry eye — gritty, worse on screens or in air conditioning, better with lubricating drops.
- Blepharitis — crusted, itchy lid margins, often recurring. Treated with lid hygiene rather than antibiotics.
- Subconjunctival haemorrhage — a striking flat patch of bright red blood on the white of the eye, painless and with normal vision. It looks alarming, is harmless, and clears over two weeks. Worth mentioning to us if it recurs or if you take blood thinners.
- Stye or chalazion — a tender lump on the lid, treated with warm compresses.
Book an appointment if the eye is painful, vision has changed, symptoms are not settling after two weeks, you wear contact lenses, or the same eye keeps becoming inflamed. We can examine the eye properly, stain the surface to look for an ulcer or scratch, and arrange urgent ophthalmology where it is needed.
Eye examined the same day
Same-day appointments most days, seven days a week, 9am–7pm, on Whitechapel Road.
Tower Bridge Hospital London
97–99 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1DT
WhatsApp 07903 284 189
info@mhwclinic.co.uk
Open Mon–Sat, 9am–7pm (closed Sundays until September)
In an emergency
Call 999, or go to the Royal London Hospital Emergency Department, Whitechapel Road, London E1 1FR.
When we are closed and it is not an emergency
Call NHS 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk.