Should I get an out of hours appointment conjunctivitis

[Haz1516]

Hi there,

I'm sure I'm being a typical first time mum and worrying unnecessarily, but my 9.5 month old has woken up today with both eyes covered in gunk. I've been using cotton wool and cooled boiled water to wipe it away, but it keeps coming. Both eyes are quite swollen too. Baby also has a cough and a streaming nose and is generally pretty miserable with it.

Should I try to get an out of hours gp appointment or is it unnecessary? Should I just wait til Monday? Will it just clear up by itself? I've never had conjunctivitis myself so don't know the best course of action!

Thanks for any advice!

I think conjunctivitis needs a doctor if it's both eyes and especially in under 2s, so I would be tempted to ring 111 ?

Try the pharmacy. They can either prescribe the drops or advise you to see a doctor.

Try pharmacy or 111 first, they will advise if you need to see a doctor.

Just go and get chloramphenicol from pharmacy!

Pharmacy can't treat under twos.

You could try 111 but in my experience they don't like to give eyedrops for it any more because of the over use of antibiotics.

Sounds more like an allergy or virus if there are snuffles as well.

Keep bathing carefully, making sure to do it right.

Try antihistamines. If it's bacterial conjunctivitis it will get worse quickly.

Ring 111 or pop into the pharmacy and see what they say (though don't think the pharmacy can prescribe for under 2s). Wherever you end up you might not get anything if they've got a cough/runny nose etc too as sounds more viral than bacterial.

Sorry, that read wrong.
The antihistamine won't make bacterial conjunctivitis worse!

Seek medical help, call 111 or local drop in, I wouldn't just give a baby anti histamines. Hope lo feels better soon.

My 9 month old has just got over conjunctivitis. You have to see a dr for under 2s as pharmacy can't sell you the drops needed. I spoke to the pharmacist for advice and when i called my drs the dr just said I'll leave you a prescription at reception.

Took just over a week to clear up with antibiotic drops

GP told me that if the eye balls are red then it is bacterial and you need antibiotics and if not it’s viral and all you can do is keep them clean and give calpol for the discomfort.

Thank you for all the responses! I think it's bacterial from Google because it's yellow gunk that keeps building up, which apparently you don't get with viral.

I did ring 111 earlier and they advised to continue bathing it, but ring back if it got worse. I feel it is getting slightly worse as they're more swollen and so gunky, but also don't know if that's really urgent enough.

DDs gunk was definitely yellow.

I would get the appointment. Good luck I know it's horrible

If it's getting worse it needs attention, 111 will just say go to hospital.

@Haz1516 Do you happen to be breastfeeding? Breast milk works absolute wonders on conjunctivitis- it's antibacterial and very soothing, it also works much, much faster than the drops IME.

I am breastfeeding. I tried squirting a bit in his eye earlier but he didn't really appreciate it lol... but I might try expressing a bit later and dabbing it in.

He now also has a hot red cheek? I don't know if that means anything. I called back 111 and am waiting for another call back from them now...

I really hope they don't say go to the hospital. We live in a rural area and it's a long way away.

It's sensible to seek medical advice but I'd be amazed if they want you to take him to hospital. Poor thing

I used to clean my DCs eyes with BM and a cotton pad every hour of so.

I'd say keen cleaning them and unless they get really bad (my littlest ones eyes were terrible even with the drops) just go see the G.P. Monday. The G.P. told me bacteria conjunctivitis can be dangerous for the eyes of left in treated with whereas viral will clear up on its own.

The red eyes and yellow gunk= bacterial just isn't true!

Best thing is leave it a day- if it's much worse, get OOH. If it's the same or better it will go on it's own.

Do use antihistamine and keep bathing.

www.hct.nhs.uk/media/1913/sticky-eye.pdf

Hey op, what do you mean by the eyes are swollen? Is it the eyelids or area around the eye? Any other symptoms? Any temperature?

Thanks again for the responses.

The eyes are swollen under the eye. A doctor from the 111 service rang back and didn't seem concerned, said just to keep bathing it and keep an eye on things - if worse then go to gp on Monday.

He doesn't have a temperature but is very unhappy in himself, spent most of the evening crying . Also seems much more tired than usual, and did a green poo earlier. I suppose that all could link to it being a viral thing. Horrible seeing him so out of sorts though.

If hes tired, had green poo and isn't himself I'd call 111 back.