When to seek further advice

[Vanillacronut]

On my third eye infection in two weeks and this morning it just feels so unbearable. Visited the optician yesterday who said if it feels worse to contact medical advice, but I’m not sure if I am over reacting. It is painful, constantly streaming, red, gritty, hardly open, light sensitivity and I have cold type symptoms, which could just be a complete coincidence. Would this be the sort of thing to visit minor injuries for or am I being a wuss and need to ride it out. If anyone has had anything similar I would be grateful for your opinions.

Agh. Meant to post in chat!

If you are in the UK you could give 111 a call to start with.

I hasn’t considered 111, thank you, I will start with them.

Hopefully they can advise and point you in the right direction. I have always found them helpful.

111, they might direct you to an eye hospital if you have one.

Yours sounds like what I had in 2017. It was bacterial keratitis and I had it several times. I don't wear contact lenses though I believe that is a common cause. Anyway the first time I had it I was told should it get worse over the weekend to go to the Eye hospital in Marylebone which has an eye A&E. I realise you may not live in the London area but there is probably something similar in your area. It's so worth getting seen by eye experts. Keratitis is so painful I felt physically sick. My eye couldn't have even a glimmer of light on it and sunglasses weren't enough (though they slightly helped) to stop the terrible pain. The first thing they did was put a painkiller into my eye which was so amazing I felt like kissing the triage nurse. I had several follow up appointments afterwards and my condition was caused by being allergic to staphylococcus which was caused by blepharitis. I now have a very good eye routine so haven't had a reoccurrence for four years. But if I did that's where I would go in fact if I lived a thousand miles away I would walk barefoot to get those painkilling drops!