Conjuntivitis - any remedies that don't involve GP?

[GloriaTheHighlyFlavouredLady]

My dd is 3 and has just woken with a sticky eye that she can't open. We are heading off in the early morning on holiday and will be travelling all day (abroad). When we get there a doctor visit will be difficult to arrange quickly.

Is there anything I can do in the meantime or as an alternative to antibiotics that will sort it out. The last time I dealt with it was by using breastmilk which was fab. Will cows milk do the trick or is there something better.

Many tia

Isn't it highly contagious? I know they shouldn't be in school with it, will they let you on the plane without medication?

You can buy chloramphenicol over the counter, if you're sure it's conjunctivitis. (The eye itself is red and watery and sore).

In the meantime bathe it every couple of hours with cooled boiled water.

Can you get to a chemist before you go? A pharmacist can sell you antibiotic eyedrops without the need for a gp visit. I got some for my 2 year old just last week.

Camomile tea. Make some in a cup, leave it cool & wipe eye with cotton pad dipped in the tea (new pad for each wipe). Clears the stickiness and can sometimes clear up whatever the issue is completely.

Pharmacist recommended it to me last time DD got sticky eye - said it's not always 'true' conjunctivitis that needs antibiotics and that rinsing eye like that is often all that is needed.

Brilliant. Thanks all. I have some things to try now which is what I hoped for.

Many thanks.

Breastmilk works really well. NHS direct says conjunctivitis usually cures itself no need for medication.

Keep child away from other kids. Make sure they have their own towel/flannel etc.

I was told my a chemist (when my daughter was too young for over the counter stuff) to just keep bathing it with cotton wool and water and it would clear itself up, seemed to work ok.

Add a tsp of salt to half a pint of boiling water and leave it to cool. The eye is naturally salty anyway, so rinsing it with plain boiled water can aggravate it (I ended up in hospital with iritis doing a similar thing) always wipe inwards towards the nose and use a fresh piece of cotton wool each time. Watch her for rubbing her eyes, and clean her hands (and yours) regularly with alco-gel to prevent spreading and reinfection.

My gp told me off for visiting with 'just conjunctivitis' in my 2 yr old
Optrex infected eye is what you need and it works like magic