Most cases of bacterial conjunctivitis will go away without medical treatment within seven days. However, may schools and companies require proof of bacterial conjunctivitis treatment before the student or employee can return. This is because bacterial conjunctivitis is contagious. The transmission of bacterial conjunctivitis is thought to be reduced once the person has used antibiotics for over twenty-four hours.

A common bacterial conjunctivitis treatment is the use of prescription antibiotics. The antibiotics can be in the form of eye drops or ointment. There is some controversy as to whether or not bacterial conjunctivitis should be treated with antibiotics. While some doctors do not hesitate to prescribe antibiotics for conjunctivitis, some doctors will not even treat people with conjunctivitis unless the symptoms are persistent or severe.

Several different antibiotics are used for bacterial conjunctivitis treatment. Erythromycin is an antibiotic ointment that may be prescribed for treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis. The Erythromycin is often prescribed to be applied inside the lower eyelid four times a day. The usual dosage amount for erythromycin is to squeeze a quarter of an inch to half an inch of the ointment into the lower eyelid. People should wash their hands before and after applying antibiotics to the eyes.

Bacitracin is another antibiotic ointment used to treat conjunctivitis. Bacitracin may sting or burn for a short while after it is applied. If the person does not see any improvement in a few days of treatment with antibiotic ointment, the person should contact the doctor. No matter which antibiotic is prescribed, the person should follow the doctor’s instructions for dosage amount and frequency.

Severe types of bacterial conjunctivitis are caused by gonorrhea and Chlamydia. These types of bacterial conjunctivitis can cause blindness if left untreated. Many cases of conjunctivitis caused by gonorrhea and Chlamydia occur to newborns who have been exposed to gonorrhea or Chlamydia during birth.

This type of bacterial conjunctivitis can also occur in adults. Most adults who develop bacterial conjunctivitis due to gonorrhea or Chlamydia have current outbreaks of the disease that caused the conjunctivitis. Patients with these severe types of bacterial conjunctivitis are often treated with both topical antibiotics and oral antibiotics.

In addition to antibiotic treatment, people with bacterial conjunctivitis should keep their eyes clean. Bacterial conjunctivitis often causes a thick, yellowish-green discharge from the eyes. Using a damp cloth or paper towel, the eye should be wiped from the inner corner to the outer corner of the eye. People in the household who do not have pink eye should avoid touching towels, paper towels, or other items that may have come in contact with the infected person’s eyes.