Conjunctivitis

[DaisyQueen]

Dd who is 3 has come home from nursery with gunky eyes which the nursery teacher pointed out and told me it had been doing the rounds for a few weeks. They have said she can return to nursery 24 hours after starting treatment. I have managed to get her a gp appointment but I know the gp is very reluctant to prescribe antibiotics as she had it before and I was told just to bathe it. Question is how long will it take to clear without treatment?

I think you can get drops from the pharmacy, I'm sure i have done before.

What we normally do is just bathe in salt water. Just make up a saline solution with boiling water and leave to cool, then fresh bit of cotton wool for each wipe of the eye, wipe towards the edge of the face.

It normally clears up in a few days if we catch it early enough

I buy over the counter chloramphenicol ointment straight away and never bother with the dr!

My son had this twice in nursery about ages 3 and 4 and both times the pharmacist recommended an eye drop, schools/nurseries take them back the day after they start these.

Actually getting kids to open their eyes for these drops is a nightmare so frequently bathe the eyes. Best tip I was told is have kids lie on couch with eyes shut, drop the medicine into corner of closed eye and ask them to blink so it goes on. That was a good tip I was given, but never perfected it myself.

It does usually improve within a few days bathing and completely clear within a week. Tell the GP about her being at nursery though as that is a reason to consider using the antibiotic.
Also children get gunky eyes with colds, so if she has a cold it less likely the drops will be doing much to help and just a faff to apply.

Thanks for the replies. In the last hour her left eye has became very bloodshot, we have a sit and wait appointment for the end of surgery hours so I've arranged for my dm to collect her sister from scholl then it's going to be a faff on finding a pharmacy that is still open for a prescription because the one at surgery closes at 4.30!
Tbh I don't mind keeping her off for a few days to let it clear on its own as I can imagine how hard it's going to be getting drops into her eyes it's just then I run the risk of her passing it to her sister.

If you do have to get the antibiotic ask for the ointment rather than drops - it's the exact same thing. It's a clear gel like substance and you can put it on a cotton wool pad and sweep it across the eye - avoiding the trauma of drops for everyone!!