Irrigation of the eye itself can help, as can local antibiotics onto the eye. Usually, testing for other venereal diseases such as syphillis and chlamydia are performed, and sexual contacts may need treatment as well. Ocular spread occurs in about 1 in 300 cases of genital disease. Symptoms are similar to the typical viral conjunctivitis which adults can get, including a red, itchy eye with mucoid or watery discharge. The cornea can be irritated in some cases leading to a scratchy sensation.
Treatment is with oral antibiotics, once the disease is suspected.
This will also treat any urinary or genital infection as well. The duration of treatment is usually 3 weeks, and sexual contacts should be tested and treated as well. Thus, this can be considered a venereal disease, and is usually acquired from sexual contacts. The common head or body louse usually does not invade the area around the eyes. Red itchy eyes and eyelids are common sypmtoms, and there may be a history of lice elsewhere on the body.