My child has conjunctivitis, how contagious is it?

Conjunctivitis, commonly known as pinkeye is inflammation of the conjunctiva. This is the clear thin tissue that covers the white part of the eye. It’s quite common in young kids. It’s a minor infection, although it might look very bad, it usually isn’t serious.

Leading consultant ophthalmic surgeon Mr Saurabh Jain is here to talk about conjunctivitis, in particular, infectious conjunctivitis and when to take your child to a paediatric ophthalmologist.

Most children with conjunctivitis will have a red eye. That is how it is usually diagnosed. The symptoms may vary depending on the cause of conjunctivitis.

• Allergic conjunctivitis brings with it; associated itching, soreness and discomfort, and tends to be in response to an allergen like pollen or dust. This is more common at certain times of the year.
• Infectious conjunctivitis can easily spread to others. It can be either viral or caused due to a bacterial infection. There will be discharge or watering. A bacterial infection creates a thick, ropy discharge. A viral infection normally starts in one eye before spreading to the other and produces a lot of tears.

Other symptoms can include:

• Blurred vision
• Sensitivity to light
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Redness of the inner eyelid
• Feeling of sand or grit in the eye
• Swollen eyelids

Sometimes irritants such as chlorine in swimming pools can easily irritate your child’s eyes causing pinkeye.

Is conjunctivitis contagious?

Yes. Infective conjunctivitis is very contagious, that is conjunctivitis that is caused by a virus or by bacteria. It can be spread from using the same towel to swimming in a contaminated pool and even through coughing and sneezing. However, conjunctivitis caused by an allergen is not contagious.

It’s recommended that if your child has viral or bacterial conjunctivitis, that they stay at home from school to avoid spreading it to other children.

Make sure you tell your child not to touch the other eye and make sure they don’t share their towel with other members of your family to prevent cross-contamination. It’s also a good idea to wash pillow cases and bed sheets to avoid the infection from spreading.

Can conjunctivitis affect both eyes?

Yes, as we’ve seen, conjunctivitis can be easily spread. If your child has infectious conjunctivitis, having both eyes involved is almost invariable. Although, this can be prevented to some extent by avoiding touching the other eye.

Treating allergic conjunctivitis

If your child’s conjunctivitis is triggered by allergies, the first step is to prevent exposure to that allergy as much as possible. The next option is to use antihistamines in the form of drops or over-the-counter oral antihistamines.

Treating infectious conjunctivitis?

Infective conjunctivitis can be treated but it’s very much like treating a cold. Treatment is aimed at making the symptoms better but conjunctivitis needs time to heal fully.

Treatments can include eye drops to keep the eyes lubricated and an eye compress. Bacterial conjunctivitis is treated using appropriate antibiotic drops which help stop the discharge and make the redness in the eye disappear quicker. If you have trouble putting drops into your child’s eyes, then an antibiotic ointment may be used and rubbed on your child’s lids.

Ensure that the eyes are kept clean with a warm compress and soft cotton balls. If your child wears contact lenses, it might be recommended that they are not worn until the infection has gone. It’s also important to keep your child’s hands clean.

If your child has symptoms of pinkeye that aren’t going away after two to three days, we recommend taking them to a specialist ophthalmologist to recover faster and to prevent symptoms from worsening. Make an appointment with Mr Saurabh Jain.