Conjunctivitis - Prognosis

If treated properly, conjunctivitis usually disappears within a week or two. In cases caused by environmental agents, it gets better only when those agents can be removed or avoided. Cases in which symptoms do not disappear after seventy-two hours, in which there is severe eye pain or changes in vision, or in which a herpes infection is suspected, should be treated by a medical doctor. Untreated cases of conjunctivitis can result in more serious eye problems, such as diminished vision or loss of eyesight.