Eye Infections Treated at Our Walk-In Clinic in Tampa, FL

In addition to being uncomfortable, an untreated eye infection could worsen and affect your vision and overall eye health. What’s more, some eye infections are very contagious, so it’s important to seek treatment right away. At South Tampa Immediate Care in Tampa, Florida, one of the most common eye infections we treat is “pink eye,” or conjunctivitis, which is easily spread through hand-to-eye contact.

You can prevent eye infections—and minimize their spread—by washing your hands thoroughly and often, not touching your face, and avoiding close contact with anyone who may be infected.

What Are the Symptoms of an Eye Infection?

An eye infection may be caused by a virus such as an adenovirus, which is often responsible for the common cold. Viral pink eye is not itchy or painful. The eye discharge is yellow or green and goopy. Patients wake up with crusty eyes, but the goop and crust go away after wiping it and don’t come back until the next nap or sleep.

An eye infection can also be caused by bacteria or an allergy. Bacterial pink eye is painful and has a whitish yellowish discharge that returns within minutes after wiping it. Allergic pink eye is itchy and has a watery discharge.

How Are Eye Infections Treated?

After determining whether your eye infection is viral, bacterial, or allergic, your provider at South Tampa Immediate Care may prescribe steroid eye drops, antibiotic eye drops, or an oral antibiotic medication. Until your eye infection clears up, you should avoid wearing eye makeup and contact lenses. In the meantime, you may find it helpful to apply a warm, damp compress to your eye several times a day as needed. You can also use an over-the-counter pain reliever or artificial tears.

When Is Emergency Treatment Needed?

If you experience blurred vision, light sensitivity, or other visual disturbances, or if you develop eye pain after a head injury, you should go directly to the nearest hospital ER. You could be dealing with a more serious issue than an eye infection, such as a foreign object or chemical in your eye, a detached retina, or a scratch or cut on your eyeball or eyelid.

At South Tampa Immediate Care, our experienced medical staff is available every day to provide non-emergency eye infection treatment and other urgent care services. Stop by our walk-in clinic at 602 South Howard Avenue in Tampa, FL, today, book an in-clinic visit online.