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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Can conjunctivitis (pink eye) go away on its own without treatment?

    I woke up with an itchy red left eye.. I know it is conjunctivitis based on friends' experiences. Do I need to see a doctor or will the condition go away on its own?
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    Thanks

    Dr Colin Clement

    Ophthalmologist (Eye Specialist)

    Firstly, it is not advisable to rely on the experience of friends to self diagnose a condition effecting the eye or any other part of the body. Many different conditions can present in the same or similar way and as the treatment and prognosis can vary it is always advisable to get an opinion from a health professional that is based on the history, clinical examination findings and test results. In relation to conjunctivitis, as this is potentially contagious, I would strongly encourage an assessment from a health care professional to ensure you are not exposing family, friends and colleagues to a condition that they may catch.

    Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the clear membrane (conjunctiva) that covers the white of the eye and back of the eye lids. It has many different causes that fall into a number of categories including infective conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis and toxic conjunctivitis. Different types of conjunctivitis will have different characteristic features. For example, an allergic conjunctivitis is associated with severe itch and is almost always in both eyes. A toxic conjunctivitis will be associated with exposure to a chemical or foreign body such as a contact lens.

    Infective conjunctivits is the condition commonly referred to as “pink eye”. It is usually either due to a bacteria or virus and may be caught through contact with someone else who has the condition or through aerosol transmission (similar to catching a cold). Bacterial conjuctivitis will typically respond to antibiotics within a few days of starting treatment and for this reason it is a good idea to get it checked. Viral conjuctivitis has a more prolonged time course (up to 3 weeks) and will not respond to antibiotics. Treatment is aimed at reducing symptoms and maintaining strict hygene to limit spread of infection. Occasionally, viral conjuctivitis can lead to corneal changes that can effect the vision (keratoconjunctivitis) and requires topical steroid eye drops to control.

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