Yes - pink eye is a strong text-and-photo case: red, gritty, watery eyes with overnight crusting usually sorts into viral (commonest, clears alone in one to two weeks), bacterial (drops if not settling), or allergic (itchy, both eyes, hay-fever story).
NHS self-care: clean lids with cooled boiled water and cotton wool, one piece per eye; no shared towels; hand washing; no contacts or eye makeup until clear. See a doctor if not cleared in 7 days, for babies with red sticky eyes (urgent under 30 days), or contact-lens wearers with eyelid spots. Eye pain, light sensitivity, vision changes, or very red eyes mean urgent in-person care. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, and can help you sort the kind.
What to do
Common questions
Can I text a doctor about pink eye?
Yes - pink eye (conjunctivitis) works well over text with a photo, because the pattern does the talking: red, gritty, watery eyes with sticky discharge that glues the lids shut overnight. Viral is the commonest kind and clears on its own in a week or two; bacterial looks similar and may get antibiotic drops if it is not settling; allergic comes with itching and usually both eyes plus a hay-fever story. The NHS self-care basics: clean the lids with cooled boiled water and cotton wool (one piece per eye, wipe once), do not share towels or pillows, wash hands, and skip contact lenses and eye makeup until it clears. The see-a-doctor list: symptoms not cleared within 7 days, babies with red sticky eyes (urgent if under 30 days old), contact-lens wearers with spots on the eyelids, and - urgent, in-person - eye pain, light sensitivity, vision changes like wavy lines or flashing, or very red eyes: those can be signs of a more serious eye problem that drops and ointment cannot fix. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you tell the kinds apart.