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Looking after your eyes

Your eyes are affected by your lifestyle and health conditions elsewhere in your body. 

In the UK, more than two million people are living with sight loss. Of these, around 340,000 are registered as blind or partially sighted. This campaign provides information on how you can keep your eyes, and your sight, healthy.

Key messages to keep your eyes healthy

  • Get your eyes tested regularly: you should have an eye test at least once every two years with your local optometrist (optician) - even if you have not experienced any change in your vision.
  • Safety first – protect your eyes: you should wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun and never look directly at the sun as this can cause irreversible damage to your eyesight and could lead to blindness. You should also protect your eyes when doing DIY to avoid injury, so ensure you wear proper safety goggles or safety glasses.
  • Look after your eyes when using a screen such as a computer or iPhone: apply the 20-20-20 rule – every 20 minutes look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. That will give your eye muscles a rest.
  • Lead a healthy and active lifestyle: did you know that smokers are much more likely than non-smokers to develop certain eye conditions e.g. age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. In fact, smoking doubles the risk of AMD which is the UK’s most common cause of sight loss.
Eye care – a guide to looking after your eyes

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the clear membrane that covers the white of your eye. It may be caused by an infection or by an allergy.

  • Conjunctivitis causes the eyes to become red, gritty, and uncomfortable.
  • It does not affect your vision.
  • If it is present in both eyes then it is more likely to be caused by an allergy, such as hay fever.
  • More information about allergic conjunctivitis can be found here.
  • If it is present in just one eye it is more likely to be caused by an infection.
  • Infections can be caused by bacteria or viruses. The treatment is different for each.
  • More information about conjunctivitis caused by infection can be found here.

Remember: bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are very contagious and easily spread.

Conjunctivitis usually causes a pink or red, gritty-feeling in the eye. Common symptoms include:

  • bloodshot eyes
  • a burning or ‘gritty’ sensation
  • mucous that sticks to eye lashes
  • itchy eyes
  • watering eyes.

It may also cause your eyelids to stick together in the morning.

And:

  • Bacterial conjunctivitis normally causes a yellow or green sticky discharge.
  • Viral conjunctivitis normally causes a watery discharge.

Conjunctivitis will normally get better on its own, without any medical treatment, in around one to two weeks.

Treatment will depend on the cause of conjunctivitis.

If it's a bacterial infection, you might be advised to use antibiotic eye drops or eye ointment. Antibiotic drops or ointment may speed up how quickly bacterial conjunctivitis clears up by a few days. However, in most cases it will get better without any drops or ointment.  Please note: antibiotics will not work if your symptoms are caused by a virus (viral conjunctivitis) or an allergy.

If you have allergic conjunctivitis, the best advice is to try and find out what is causing the allergy and avoid it. If you cannot avoid it – for example if you have hay fever – you can get antihistamine drops from the community pharmacist to relieve your symptoms.

There are things you can do to help ease the symptoms of conjunctivitis. These include:

  • Wash your eyelids with clean water: Boil the water and let it cool down, then gently wipe your eyelashes with a clean cotton wool pad to clean off crusts. Use a fresh cotton wool pad each time and use a separate pad for each eye. Remember to wash your hands before and after cleaning your eyelids.
  • Hold a cold flannel on your eyes for a few minutes to cool them down.
  • Do not wear contact lenses until your eyes are completely better and the conjunctivitis has completely cleared up.

If you have conjunctivitis, you do not need to stay away from work or school unless you or your child are feeling very unwell. However, if you work in close contact with others, elderly or children, or share equipment such as phones and computers, you shouldn’t return to work until the discharge has cleared up.

The do and don’ts while you have conjunctivitis:

Do:

  •  Wash hands regularly with warm soapy water.
  •  Wash pillows and face cloths in hot water and detergent.
  •  Use disposable paper tissues to wipe your eyes. Use one tissue per eye to prevent cross-infection and throw them straight into the bin after use.

Don’t:

  •  Don’t share flannels, towels or pillows with anyone else.
  •  Don’t share your eye drops with anyone else.
  •  Don’t wear your contact lenses until your eyes are completely better and after 24 hours after the last dose of ointment/drops (if they were required).
  •  Don't rub your eyes.
  •  Don't wear eye make up.

Think Community Pharmacy! A pharmacist can help with conjunctivitis

Speak to a pharmacist about conjunctivitis. They can give you advice and suggest eyedrops or antihistamines to help with your symptoms.

To obtain treatment for a child under 2 years old, you'll need to see a GP or optometrist.

When to see an optometrist or doctor

You should see an optometrist or doctor if:

  • Your baby has red, sticky eyes – get an urgent appointment if your baby is less than 30 days old.
  • You wear contact lenses and have conjunctivitis symptoms as well as spots on your eyelids – you might be allergic to the lenses.
  • You have conjunctivitis and your symptoms have not cleared up within seven days.
  • You have pain in your eyes.
  • You have sensitivity to light.
  • You have changes in your vision, like wavy lines or flashing.
  • You have very red eyes (1 eye or both eyes).

Get an appointment through the community urgent eyecare service: https://primaryeyecare.co.uk/your-area/nhs-lancashire-and-south-cumbria-community-urgent-eye-care-service-cues/

Or contact your local optician who should be able to assist.

If in doubt, seek advice from NHS 111.

Self-care and advice:

Check your symptoms:

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