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Eye flu (conjunctivitis): what to do, and when to see a doctor

Every monsoon, eye flu goes round Goa's schools, offices and homes. A few days after one child comes home with red, sticky eyes, half the family can have it. Eye flu (dole yene in Marathi, aankh aana in Hindi) is the everyday name for conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear skin over the white of the eye and inside the eyelids. Most eye flu is mild and clears on its own, but it spreads easily, and a few red eyes that look like eye flu turn out to be something more serious.

What are the symptoms of eye flu?

• redness of the white of the eye, often in one eye first and in the other a day or two later
• watering, and a gritty or burning feeling
• sticky discharge, with the lids stuck together on waking
• swollen eyelids
• mild discomfort in bright light
• sometimes a cold, a sore throat, or a tender swelling just in front of the ear

Vision should stay normal, apart from blurring that clears when you blink away the discharge.

What causes eye flu?

• Viruses cause most eye flu in adults, and most outbreaks. The eye is watery and red, often after a cold, and it is very contagious. Antibiotic drops do not work against viruses.
• Bacteria cause thicker yellow or green discharge and stuck lids, and are more common in children. Antibiotic drops may help, if the eye doctor advises them.
• Allergy causes itching above all, usually in both eyes, and does not spread. See itchy eyes: allergy or infection?

Why is eye flu common in the monsoon?

The viruses that cause eye flu pass from eyes to hands to other people's eyes. In the rainy months people crowd together indoors, in classrooms, buses and offices, the air is humid, and towels, handkerchiefs and pillow covers stay damp. Schools reopening in June add to it. Outbreaks are reported across India in many monsoons, and Goa is no exception. The same habits that stop colds spreading stop eye flu spreading.

Is eye flu contagious, and for how long?

Viral and bacterial eye flu are contagious. They spread through:

• touching the eyes and then hands, door handles, phones and other surfaces
• shared towels, handkerchiefs, pillow covers and bedsheets
• shared eye drops, kajal, eye make-up and spectacles
• swimming pools, in some outbreaks

Looking at someone with eye flu does not spread it. Wearing dark glasses does not stop it spreading either, although they can ease discomfort in bright light and remind you not to touch your eyes. People are most likely to pass it on while the eyes are red and watering or discharging, and viral eye flu can stay catching for up to about two weeks from the start.

How long does eye flu last?

Most viral eye flu gets better within one to two weeks, though some cases take up to three. Bacterial eye flu usually improves within a few days, sooner with the right drops. Allergic eye flu lasts as long as the trigger is around. Some viral eye flu leaves small, hazy spots on the cornea that blur vision for weeks or sometimes months after the redness has gone; the eye doctor can check for these.

What should I do at home?

1. Wash your hands with soap and water often, and always after touching your eyes or putting in drops.
2. Clean away the discharge with cotton wool or a clean cloth dipped in boiled water that has cooled. Wipe from the nose side outwards, use a fresh piece for each eye, and throw it away.
3. Use a cool, clean compress on the closed eyes for comfort.
4. Use your own towel and pillow cover, and wash them often in hot water.
5. Stop wearing contact lenses until the eye has fully healed, and throw away the lenses and case you were using.
6. Throw away eye make-up and kajal used during the infection.
7. Stay home from school or work while the eyes are red and discharging, or as your school or employer asks, and keep out of swimming pools.

What should I not do?

• Do not buy drops from the chemist on your own. Drops that contain steroids can make some eye infections, such as a herpes infection of the cornea, much worse, and can raise eye pressure.
• Do not use drops left over from an earlier illness or borrowed from someone else.
• Do not put breast milk, rose water, honey, tulsi juice or any other home remedy in the eye.
• Do not rub the eyes, and do not bandage them shut.

When should I see an eye doctor?

See an eye doctor if:

• the eye is painful, rather than just gritty
• vision is blurred and does not clear with blinking
• bright light hurts
• you wear contact lenses
• only one eye is red and it is very painful
• the eye is not improving after a week, or is getting worse
• the eye was injured recently
• there are blisters or a rash around the eye or on the forehead
• a newborn baby has red or sticky eyes (the same day)

These can be signs of a corneal ulcer, inflammation inside the eye (uveitis), raised eye pressure or a herpes infection, which need treatment rather than waiting. Read about corneal ulcer symptoms and uveitis symptoms.

What happens at the eye hospital?

The eye doctor checks your vision and examines the eye under the slit lamp microscope, sometimes with a drop of yellow dye, to confirm eye flu and rule out a problem with the cornea. You are told which kind of eye flu it is likely to be, whether drops will help, and how to avoid passing it on. When you arrive, tell the staff you may have eye flu, and keep your hands away from your face.

The Eye OPD at ReNew Vision Eye Hospital, Vaddem, Vasco is open Monday to Saturday, 4 pm to 7 pm. For a red eye with pain, blurred vision or an injury, emergency eye care is available 24 hours, every day. Call or WhatsApp 072489 88039. More about red eyes is on the red eye, dry eye and cornea page.

Questions patients ask

How long does eye flu last?

Most viral eye flu clears in one to two weeks, sometimes up to three. Bacterial eye flu usually improves within a few days. If it is not improving after a week, or the eye hurts or vision blurs, see an eye doctor.

Can I get eye flu by looking at someone's eyes?

No. Eye flu spreads by touch: from eyes to hands, and from hands, towels, pillows and shared drops or make-up to another person's eyes. Washing hands often and not sharing towels are the most useful steps.

Should my child stay home from school with eye flu?

Usually yes, while the eyes are red and discharging, because children pass it on easily. Follow your school's rules. Teach the child to wash their hands and not to rub their eyes, and give them a separate towel and pillow cover.

Do dark glasses stop eye flu from spreading?

No. Eye flu spreads by touch, not from one pair of eyes to another through the air. Dark glasses can ease discomfort in bright light and help stop you touching your eyes, but hand washing matters far more.

Do I need antibiotic drops for eye flu?

Not always. Most eye flu is caused by viruses, which antibiotic drops do not treat. Bacterial eye flu may need them. The eye doctor decides after examining the eye; do not use leftover or borrowed drops.

This page is general eye-health information, not personal medical advice. Your eye doctor advises you after examining your eyes.