How Do You Treat an Eye Infection?

Eye infection treatments vary depending on the cause. They typically include medications such as eye drops (antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, steroid, antifungal, antiviral, allergy), pain medication, and home remedies (warm compress, avoid touching the eye, not wearing makeup).

An eye infection occurs when bacteria, viruses, or other agents infect the eye. Eye infection can affect the eyelids, cornea, and conjunctiva.

Eye infections are usually treated with medications. The specific treatment depends on the type and cause of the eye infection that is present. 

• Treatment for conjunctivitis (“pink eye”), which is an infection of the conjunctiva that may be caused by bacteria, viruses, allergic reactions, or irritants, includes:
  • May go away on its own without treatment
  • Some types of conjunctivitis can be treated
    • Conjunctivitis caused by bacteria can be treated with antibiotic eye drops or gels
    • Itching and irritation caused by other problems can be treated with eye drops used to treat allergies
• Treatment for keratitis, which is inflammation of the cornea that may be caused by bacteria, viruses, contaminated water, eye injury, or contaminated contact lenses, includes:
  • Antibiotic, antifungal, or antiviral eye drops
  • Steroid eye drops
• Treatment for stye (“hordeolum”), which presents as painful, red bumps under the eyelid or at the base of the eyelashes caused by a bacterial infection of the oil glands in the eyelid or eyelashes, includes: 
  • May go away on its own without treatment
  • Warm, wet compress on the stye
  • Do not squeeze or pop a stye
  • Avoid wearing eye makeup or contact lenses until the stye is healed
  • Antibiotic cream or ointment
  • Draining the stye (done by a medical professional)
• Treatment for blepharitis, which is inflammation at the edge of the eyelids caused by bacteria, includes:
  • Warm, wet pressure on the eyes 
  • Gently rub the eyelids after putting warm, wet pressure on the eyes
  • Wash the eyelids with plain warm water or warm water with a drop of baby shampoo on a clean washcloth, gauze pad, or cotton swab to gently cleanse crusty material off the eyelashes and eyelids
  • Antibiotic cream or ointment applied to the eyelids
  • Oral antibiotics
  • Topical steroids
• Treatment for corneal ulcers, which are open sores on the cornea that may be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, abrasions or burns, dry eye syndrome, or Bell’s palsy, includes:
  • Antibiotic, antifungal, or antiviral eye drops
  • Oral antifungal medicine
  • Injections of medication near the eye
  • Steroid eye drops (use of steroids is controversial as it may worsen infection)
  • Anti-inflammatory eye drops 
  • Pain medication 
  • Corneal transplant in severe cases
• Treatment for uveitis, which is inflammation of the uvea, the middle layer of the eye that may be caused by viruses such as herpes, injury, or autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, includes: 
  • Steroids 
    • Eye drops
    • Injections into the eye (for posterior uveitis)
    • Pills
  • Eye drops for pain
  • Other medicines to treat the uveitis or the condition causing it