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St. Luke’s Primary School
Infectious Conjunctivitis
This information is taken from the NHS Direct Health Encyclopaedia
(www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk)
The white part of your eye and the inner surfaces of your eyelids are covered
by a transparent membrane (thin layer of cells) known as the conjunctiva. If
the conjunctiva becomes inflamed, you have a condition called conjunctivitis.
There are three types of conjunctivitis - irritant, allergic, and infective.
Irritant conjunctivitis
Irritant conjunctivitis occurs when an irritant, such as chlorine, or an eyelash,
gets into your eyes. This can make your eyes sore and if you rub them, it can
make the soreness even worse. Avoiding the irritant and not rubbing your
eyes will help. However, if your eyes are very red and painful, you should
seek medical help immediately.
Allergic conjunctivitis
Allergic conjunctivitis occurs when your eye comes into contact with an
'allergen'. An allergen is a particular substance that makes your body's
immune system react abnormally, causing irritation and inflammation in the
affected body part.
Infective conjunctivitis
Infective conjunctivitis can be caused by a virus or by bacteria.
The most common symptoms include reddening and watering of the eyes.
You may also notice a sticky coating on your eyelashes, particularly when you
first wake in the morning, which can make your eyes feel like they are stuck
together. Infective conjunctivitis is a very common condition, and is
responsible for 35% of all eye-related problems recorded in GP surgeries. It is
most common in children and the elderly.
The symptoms of infective conjunctivitis will normally begin in one eye.
However, after a few days, you will often find that the other eye becomes
affected too.
The symptoms of infective conjunctivitis can vary from person to person, but
may include those listed below.

Reddening of the affected eye(s) - this happens as a result of
the irritation and widening of the tiny blood vessels in your conjunctiva
(thin layer of skin inside your eyelids). If your eyes are very red and
very painful, or if your vision is affected, or if your eyes are extremely
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sensitive to light (photophobia), you should seek immediate medical
assistance.

Watering eyes - the conjunctiva contain thousands of cells that
produce mucus, and tiny glands that produce tears. Irritation causes
the glands to become overactive, so that they water more than usual.

Sticky coating on eyelashes - you are more likely to notice this
when you first wake in the morning. Your eyelids may feel like they are
stuck together because the pus that is produced by the infection forms
into sticky clumps on your lashes.
The majority of cases of infective conjunctivitis do not require any medical
treatment. As most infections will heal without treatment within one to two
weeks, your GP may not initially prescribe any particular medicines or
treatment for you.
Self-care
If you have infective conjunctivitis, there are a number of ways that you can
treat your condition at home. If you follow the guidelines which are outlined
below, they should help to speed your recovery.

Remove contact lenses - if you wear contact lenses, you
should take them out until all the signs and symptoms of the infection
have been resolved. You should also avoid using contact lenses until
24 hours after you have finished a course of treatment, such as
antibiotics.

Lubricant eye drops - these can be purchased over-thecounter (OTC), or they may be prescribed for you. They may help to
ease any soreness and stickiness in your eyes.

Gently clean away sticky substances - when you wake in the
morning, you may notice that your eyes have secreted a sticky
substance that sticks to your eyelashes. You can gently clean this
away from your eyelids and eyelashes using cotton wool soaked in
water.

Wash your hands regularly - this is particularly important after
you have touched your infected eye to prevent spreading infection to
others.
Antibiotics
In most cases, antibiotics will make little difference to your recovery from
infective conjunctivitis. Therefore, you may be advised to delay using the
medicine for seven days in order to see if the condition can resolve itself first.
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About 10% of people who have their infective conjunctivitis treated with
antibiotics experience adverse side effects. The risk of any complications from
untreated infective conjunctivitis is very low, and so treatment with antibiotics
is rarely necessary.
If your infective conjunctivitis is particularly severe, and has lasted for more
than two weeks, you may require antibiotic treatment.
Some schools, or playgroups, insist that a child is treated with antibiotics
before they can return (although this is rarely necessary - see 'prevention'
section). However, if this is the case, your GP may agree to prescribe
antibiotics.
Which antibiotics may be prescribed?
If your GP decides that antibiotics are necessary for your treatment, there are
two main types of antibiotics which may be prescribed. These are outlined
below.

Chloramphenicol - this is the first choice of antibiotic to be
used for severe infective conjunctivitis. It is usually in the form of an
eye drop, which is taken every two hours, for two days, and then every
four hours for five days (but only while you are awake). If eye drops are
not suitable, you may be prescribed this antibiotic in ointment form
instead.

Fusidic acid - this is usually prescribed if chloramphenicol is not
suitable for you. Fusidic acid is also more suitable for pregnant women.
It comes in the form of eye drops, which normally have to be used
twice a day, for seven days.
If you have been prescribed eye drops, your vision may become blurred
shortly after using them.
If you still have symptoms after two weeks, it is very important that you go
back to your GP, so that your condition can be reassessed, and your
treatment reviewed.
You must also contact your GP immediately if you experience any of the
following symptoms:




moderate to severe eye pain,
photophobia (sensitivity to light),
loss of vision, or
intense redness in your eyes.
It may be a sign that your symptoms have a more serious cause.
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Prevention
The best way to stop infective conjunctivitis spreading is to make sure that
you thoroughly wash your hands after touching, or treating, your infected
eyes. If you do not have the infection, but someone close to you does, you
should make sure that you wash your hands every time you come into contact
with them. You should also avoid sharing towels, pillows, and flannels in order
to prevent the infection from spreading.
Should I keep my child home from school?
Unless there is an outbreak of infective conjunctivitis at your child's school,
you will not have to keep your child at home. The Health Protection Agency
(HPA) states that it is not advisable to exclude children from schools.