To tell if an eye infection is serious, look for signs of a serious eye infection which include swelling around your eyes, thick, colored discharge from the eyes, intense sensitivity to light, blurry vision, severe pain, sudden vision changes or even sudden vision loss.
If you notice signs of a serious eye infection you should contact an eye doctor right away and seek medical attention, as some eye infection conditions like endophthalmitis or keratitis can result in permanent loss of vision, without prompt medical treatment.
If you have any serious eye infections or eye infections in general you should stop wearing contact lenses if you wear contact lenses and see a doctor, especially if the symptoms don't improve within 12 to 24 hours even for less severe eye infections.
Red eyes or even itching and irritation can also be signs of an eye infection which could also be serious.
To recover fast from an eye infection, you should see an eye doctor who can prescribe antibiotic eye drops.
Also at home you can recover fast by avoiding touching your eyes, if you wear contacts, keep the contacts out of your eyes and take over the counter pain relievers and apply some warm compresses and get plenty of rest.
Using lubricating eye drops and using damp, warm or cool compresses can help your eyes feel better and help you recover from an eye infection.
Some eye infections can be treated at home and other eye infections which are more serious need an eye doctor treat.
To get rid of an eye infection naturally you can apply some honey to your eyelids, but just be sure not to get the honey in the eye.
Honey has antibacterial properties and can sometimes get rid of the bacteria that is causing the infection, although it may not work for all types of eye infections.
You can also use a saline solution to get rid of an eye infection naturally.
Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water.
Then use a clean cotton ball or an eye dropper to gently apply the saline solution to the eye, which helps to flush out irritants and bacterial.
You can also mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in 1 cup of water and then use a cotton ball to gently wipe the eye with the apple cider vinegar solution.
Apple cider vinegar has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties which can help treat the eye infection.
You can also steep some guava leaves in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes and let the tea cool down and apply it to the eyes with a cotton ball or compress.
The Guava leaves have anti-inflammatory properties and antibacterial properties which can also help get rid of eye infections.
To treat an eye infection without going to the doctor you can buy and apply some over the counter antibiotic eye drops or eye creams to your eye and also apply warm compresses or cool compresses to the eye lids several times a day.
Also cleaning your eyelids with a clean rag and antibacterial soap, gently without getting soap in your eye can also help.
Although in more severe cases or if the eye infection doesn't go away or gets worse you will need to see an eye doctor in most cases to get rid of the eye infection as some eye infections may need prescription antibiotics to treat.
You can buy certain types of antibiotic eye drops over the counter.
The antibiotic eye drops that can be bought or purchased over the counter without a prescription are Artificial tears with antibiotic, Chloramphenicol ophthalmic eye drops and an antibiotic ointment for eyes called Erythromycin ophthalmic ointment.
Artificial tears with antibiotic are eye drops that contain an antibiotic that can treat bacterial eye infections like conjunctivitis also called pink eye.
Chloramphenicol ophthalmic eye drops are eye drops that are available in some countries that are also used to treat bacterial eye infections.
And Erythromycin ophthalmic ointment is an eye ointment that is applied to your eyes to treat bacterial eye infections.
Although not all over the counter antibiotic eye drops or creams will be suitable for all types of eye infections and for some eye infections you might still need some prescription antibiotic cream or prescription antibiotic eye drops for more severe eye infections, like eye infections that cause pain, vision loss or even sensitivity to light.
Also don't use the eye drops for longer than recommended or if the symptoms get worse or don't improve.