Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is a common eye condition caused by bacteria or allergies. Infectious conjunctivitis (caused by bacteria) is often contagious. 

Allergic conjunctivitis makes eyes red and watery but is not contagious. It’s more common in children with allergies like hayfever. 

Some newborn babies can experience a blocked tear duct in one or both eyes, causing tears to build up on the outside of their eyes. This is not the same as conjunctivitis, read more about blocked tear ducts here.

Symptoms 

Conjunctivitis is sometimes referred to as red or pink eye, and it can make the eyes: 

• Red 

• Watery 

• Crusty 

• Itchy 

• Produce pus that sticks to the eyelashes 

Most cases of conjunctivitis in children are caused by an infection, your child may also have a runny nose, cough or earache. They do not need to stay away from school or nursery unless they are feeling unwell. 

Treatments for conjunctivitis 

Speak to a pharmacist about treatment for conjunctivitis, as treatments will differ depending on the cause. 

If your child is under two, ask for a GP appointment.  

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 as soon as possible if your child: 

• Is less than 30 days old and has red, sticky eyes 

• Has pain in their eyes 

• Experiences sensitivity to light 

• Has changes in their vision, like wavy lines or flashing 

• Has very red eyes (1 eye or both eyes) 

Trust your instincts. If your child seems unwell or something isn’t right, contact a health professional. 

Things you can do to relieve symptoms of conjunctivitis at home 

You can help relieve symptoms by gently cleaning the crust off the eyelashes with cotton balls soaked in clean water.  

You can boil the water to sterilise it, but make sure you allow it to cool down to room temperature before using it. 

• Clean in one direction only, outwards from the inside (nose side) of the eye. This prevents the other eye becoming infected if only one eye is affected by the infection 

• Discard the cotton ball each time to prevent reinfection 

• Do not try to clean inside the eyelids as this may cause damage to the inside of the eye

• Lubricating eye drops such as artificial tears may give some relief, speak to a pharmacist before using these

• If your child wears contact lenses, make sure they stop using them until their symptoms have completely gone 

Do not: 

• Attempt to clean inside the eye 

• Share towels or pillows, as this can spread contagious conjunctivitis 

• Rub the eyes 

It can take up to 2 weeks for a child to fully recover from conjunctivitis. If your child is not improving after 2 weeks, speak to your GP.