Conjunctivitis

[jaynethepain]

Any advice please on this problem?

Four and a half weeks ago I had a bad cold and over the weekend of the Whitsun bank holiday had a nasty case of conjunctivitis. Both eyes, lots of discharge, swollen eyes, pain over the top of my brows and very, very red bloodshot eyes. Rang 111 and also spoke to Nottingham eye casualty who advised me to buy choronphenicol from the chemist which I did. Used as prescribed. Both eyes cleared up.

Two weeks later later the problem recurred in just one eye. Very very very red, swollen and lots of yellow discharge. Saw GP who prescribed more choronphenicol plus an oral antibiotic. Also went to see my brother in law who is an optometrist who had a good old look with his bright lights and could see nothing sinister. Eye cleared up after about 5 days.

Two weeks on, the other eye has started again. Had a pain over the brow all day, eye dry and gritty, got home and yellow discharge starting to appear and eye becoming swollen. Bloodshot eye is setting in.

I'm going to get an appointment with GP in the morning but I wonder if this is normal? Is it traditionally difficult to get rid of? Never had this before (I'm 56) and have no experience of it with other family members. I'm cleaning with blephasol daily and being very careful with cleaning make up off with only one cotton pad per eye and trying really hard not to touch them at all. Feeling very fed up and bothered by the whole thing so anything useful would be very much appreciated.

[Sqad]

From your description, it sounds as though you have recurrent bacterial conjunctivitis and in answer to your question it is common for it to recur.

By bathing it for at least 20 mins three times a day, you are following mainstream management, until you see your GP in the morning.

[Prudie]

This may be garbage but have you considered the bacteria may have got into your mascara or whatever other eye-makeup you're using and re-infecting you? I'd chuck it out and buy new.

[Mamyalynne]

Not garbage at all Prudie as a long time sufferer the best thing to do until it clears up is to avoid eye make up if you can.

[jaynethepain]

Yes I did consider that Prudie. I replaced all eye make up after the first incident (not a cheap thing to do!) and only started wearing any make up until the second lot had cleared up. Thanks for your reply though, nice to know someone's out there when I feeling miserable with it. And thank you Sqad, I will bathe until the morning; just water?

[jourdain2]

It does recur - I was dosing Mr. J2's eyes on and off for months. All the advice is good, but I would add that if you wear glasses - wash them daily! Have a clean face-towel every day. Forget make-up for a while (I rarely use it anyway) - you could get your eyelashes dyed, which I used to do and it lasts months, so you there is no chance of re-infection there. I had it regularly as a teenager, but (touch wood) have steered clear of it since. Hope this helps.

[jaynethepain]

Thank you Jordan, I could get eyelashes tinted, I'll have a think

[DaisyNonna]

Sounds horrendous Jayne
Sorry not to be able to help

[jaynethepain]

Bless you Nonna. It's pretty horrible and I'm really worried but everyone seems to think it's quite common so my fears have been abated a bit. The friendly people on answer bank have come good this evening, I feel much better.

[Bathsheba]

Poor you Jayne....sounds horrendous. I am plagued by styes...got one at the moment. Obviously your GP knows best, but I am always prescribed fusidic acid drops, ... i've never found chloramphenicol to work. Perhaps suggesting to your GP that trying something different might help?
Good luck
Baths
x x

[Mosaic]

As a fellow sufferer, my perception is once you've had it you're prone to it. As with advice from others, all eye makeup must be binned after a break-out. Also in future watch the amount of time you use a mascara or eye pencil - they are havens for bacteria. I'm sure you've done it, but daily changing of towels and very hot wash for towels - facecloths too if you use them but I believe facecloths are the work of the devil and all should be burned, burned I tell you. General eyestrain, run-downedness etc also seem to provoke an outbreak for me.