eye infection, no better, no worse after a week?

[love6421]

I wear contact lenses and every now
and then, maybe once or twice a year max, I get an eye infection.

My left eye started to feel a bit gritty and look pink about 8 days ago. I couldn't get through to the doctors, but the pharmacist gave me goldeneye drops which are for bacterial conjunctivitis. My other eye is fine.

I'm wearing my glasses fulltime obviously and won't use contacts again until my eye is ok.
Why isn't it going away? It's no better
and no worse after eight days. I've never had conjunctivitis for more
than 3 days or so before. Is this normal?!

I think it's important you see a doctor. It might not be conjunctivitis. I had an eye ulcer recently which had similar symptoms.

Can you do an online consultation with your GP?

face to face impossible and telephone triage too: also, they'd need a look at my eye, wouldn't they? I was thinking of speaking to my optician, not sure if they could advise. Pharmacist didn't seem bothered.

Definitely contact your optician. It should have gone by now, and it's unusual that it's just one eye.

I’ve given them a call and goes to answerphone! 😤 I'll keep trying!

Opticians is a good call.

My GP has an online form you complete with details of issue, together with photos if appropriate. GP then reviews the firm and contacts you to offer a face to face, a referral, a prescription etc. Very efficient.

Definitely optician.

once or twice a year for an eye infection is actually quite a lot, even for a contact lens wearer. Obviously you’re doing the right thing by not wearing the lenses. But, you need to have a full check up anyway with an optometrist and see what’s going on.

it may be that the type of lens isn’t ideal for you any more.

it might not apply to you, but, I had a day in practice e a few weeks ago where every single contact lens wearer I saw had an eye infection and they’d all changed brands of lens without having them re-fitted.
they’re actually all very different to each other, even if the numbers in the packets are the same.

I'd check as it's not normal for you but conjunctivitis can and does last for 2 weeks with guidelines advising as such.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/conjunctivitis/

Like I said, seek another opinion because you're worried and it's abnormal for you.

Never take chances with eyes, my mam thought she had conjunctivitis and treat it as that, saw the GP who thought the same. Ended up at eye casualty and was diagnosed with a completed different condition and was told any eye problems that are not basic (or unresolved) skip GP and go to optician or eye casualty.

Mine is a cautionary tale.

I had a corneal ulcer last year which started as what I thought was conjunctivitis. I ended up at St Thomas' eye unit as an acute case and they said I was extremely lucky not to have lost the sight in that eye as the bacteria was an aggressive type. I do have permanently affected vision in that eye as a result. I had to put antibiotic drops in every half an hour for 2 days in the first instance and I was almost delirious with lack of sleep by the end of it. Two types of Antibiotic drops over the course of 2 months.

I am a contact lens wearer and the type I was using were 2 weekly ones. I would say I had impeccable hygiene for removing and inserting and cleaning the lenses but the consultant said that 90% of the cases they see like me are as a result of that particular type of lens. To the extent that in his opinion they shouldn't be prescribed.

So please please please get yourself to urgent care at A & E if they have an ophthalmology dept or your optician if not.