Pink eye treatment in Bang Tao
You wake up and one eye is gummed shut. It is red, gritty, and watering, and by lunchtime the other eye has started too. Pink eye spreads through hotels, pools and families at speed. Pink eye treatment in Bang Tao begins with working out whether it is viral, bacterial or allergic, because only one of those needs antibiotic drops.
Three causes that look similar
The discharge is the most useful clue:
- Viral — watery discharge, often starts in one eye then spreads, frequently with a cold. Most common.
- Bacterial — thick yellow or green discharge, lids stuck together in the morning.
- Allergic — both eyes at once, intense itching, no infection, often with sneezing.
Itching points strongly to allergy. Genuine pain, rather than grittiness, points to something more serious than conjunctivitis.
Why it spreads so fast here
Viral conjunctivitis is extremely contagious and survives on surfaces for hours. Shared pool towels, hotel pillowcases, sunglasses passed between friends and hands that keep rubbing eyes do the rest. Pool water helps it move between people, and chlorine does not reliably kill it.
Wash your hands often, use your own towel, and stay out of the pool while your eyes are red. Do not share eye drops with anyone.
Contact lenses — take them out now
If you wear contact lenses, remove them at the first sign of a red eye and stay in glasses until it has fully settled. Wearing lenses over an infection risks a corneal ulcer, which is a far more serious problem that can permanently affect sight.
Throw away the lenses you were wearing when symptoms started, and the case. And never swim in contact lenses, in the sea or in a pool — water trapped behind a lens is a well-recognised route to a severe eye infection.
How it is treated
Viral conjunctivitis clears by itself over one to two weeks. Antibiotic drops do nothing for it. Treatment is lubricating drops, cool compresses and scrupulous hand hygiene.
Bacterial conjunctivitis responds to antibiotic drops within a couple of days. Allergic conjunctivitis is treated with antihistamine drops and by avoiding the trigger — see allergic reaction. Clean the lids with cooled boiled water and cotton wool, wiping outward, using a fresh piece for each eye.
Red flags — when a red eye is not conjunctivitis
Come in the same day, or go to a hospital, if there is:
- Real pain in the eye rather than grittiness
- Blurred vision or loss of vision
- Sensitivity to light
- A red eye in someone who wears contact lenses
- Redness concentrated in a ring around the coloured part of the eye
- Any injury to the eye, or a foreign body that will not wash out
Pain and light sensitivity together suggest the deeper structures of the eye are involved. That needs assessment today rather than a week of drops.
Frequently asked questions
How much does treatment cost?
A consultation with drops where they are needed is inexpensive. Many people need nothing but lubricating drops and advice, which costs less again.
How long am I contagious?
Viral conjunctivitis is contagious while the eye is red and watering, often a week or more. Bacterial conjunctivitis stops being contagious about 24 hours after starting antibiotic drops.
Can I swim?
No, not while your eyes are red. You risk passing it to everyone else in the pool and worsening your own eye.
Can a doctor come to my hotel?
Yes. A doctor hotel visit can examine the eye and supply drops, which is useful with children who are unhappy about being examined in a clinic.
Can I fly?
Yes, conjunctivitis does not stop you flying. Take your own tissues, wash your hands, and avoid touching shared surfaces more than you must.
Come in, or we come to you
Take Care Medical Clinic Bang Tao is open open 24 hours, 7 days a week on Bandon Road in Cherng Talay, a few minutes from Bang Tao Beach and Laguna Phuket. Walk in without an appointment, call +66 81 718 9080, or message us on WhatsApp. If you would rather not move, ask for a doctor hotel visit and we will come to your room.