How to spot, treat and prevent common eye infections

This story first appeared in Healthy You - July 2025, The Gazette’s quarterly health publication.

Infections — both viral and bacterial — are common, especially in your eyes. Iowa Eye Center’s Dr. Brian Privett has a few tips to spot, treat and keep eye infections at bay.

A top case Privett sees during the summer is waterborne bacterial infections. An infection like keratitis, or an inflammation of the cornea, can be caught in natural bodies of water.

“It’s just important to know that if you’ve been out swimming in untreated lakes and rivers … and you are having some eye problems, have your eye doctor take a look at it,” Privett said.

Depending on the type of irritant, a doctor will recommend temporarily wearing glasses instead of contacts, taking antibiotics or another method to help heal your eyes, depending on the infection.

Another common eye infection is conjunctivitis, or pink eye. This happens when the surface layer over the whites of the eye contracts an infection in the conjunctiva. The blood vessels dilate from the illness, which causes the appearance of a red or an irritated eye. Besides the color change, the eye may produce watery discharge.

To prevent illness from progressing, Privett suggests a cool compress, pain medicine for aches and pains, or artificial tears to help with appearance and dryness. This common case will not always see a prescription for medication as it is usually viral or mildly bacterial.

“The red eye drops work great if you are going to a wedding and your eyes are red because they’re a little dry, and you want to have one day where you have white eyes. But when you have an infection, those drops aren’t recommended, especially on a chronic basis,” said Privett.

Conjunctivitis can become chronic, and some viruses can cause it to last several weeks. A severe bacterial infection can cause significant pus and discharge around the eye.

“These are cases where it’s important to see an eye doctor to see if you have any of those more severe bacterial infections,” he said.

A more severe eye infection Privett wants everyone to be aware of is cellulitis. This can happen anywhere on the body and is often caused by bacteria spread from a cut or sinus infection, affecting the skin and tissues around the eye. Symptoms include red eye and swollen skin around the eye, which can cause the eyelid to completely swell shut. In more serious cases, it can spread behind the eye, which would require hospital treatment.

With most cases, oral antibiotics will be recommended, as this type of infection will not go away on its own.

Bacterial ulcers are another severe type of eye infection, and those who wear contacts are more prone to them. These ulcers occur when things like dirt, contaminated water, debris or other small objects get stuck under the contact and scratch the cornea. Bacteria can then get into the eye, causing it to become infected. In this case, strong antibiotics are prescribed, and a doctor will monitor the cornea to make sure there is no permanent damage to the area.

Contact users can reduce their risk for illnesses by not wearing contacts to bed, unless they have been approved for overnight wear.

“When you sleep with your contacts in overnight, it does increase your risk for infections,” Privett said. Daily contact wearers are least likely to see infections, as they use a new lens every day.

“It’s important to stick to the wear time and not try to extend them to save money, because the longer you wear the contact that was only meant to be two weeks, the more likely the risk of infection goes up,” he said.

Privett also suggests following the directions for cleaning contacts, as that will also help reduce the risk of eye problems. If you are experiencing eye concerns or illnesses contact your eye healthcare provider for more information.