Pink eye · Green Bay, Wisconsin

Pink eye treatment
in Green Bay.

Red, itchy, watery, or crusted shut in the morning? Don't guess at the pharmacy shelf. Get it diagnosed properly — red eyes, infections and injuries are treated on site, and walk-ins are welcome.

Call 920-355-3055 Book an appointment
Diagnosed & treated on site Walk-ins welcome Prescription drops when needed 60 days of free follow-ups

Know the difference

Three kinds of "pink eye."

Conjunctivitis isn't one condition — and the treatment that helps one kind does nothing for another. The exam is what tells them apart.

Viral

The most common kind — watery, irritated eyes, often starting in one eye after a cold. Very contagious. Antibiotic drops don't help a virus; supportive care and good hygiene usually do.

Bacterial

Thicker, often yellow-green discharge that can glue lashes shut overnight. This is the kind that may genuinely need prescription antibiotic drops.

Allergic

Itchy, watery, usually both eyes at once — and not contagious at all. Managed with allergy-targeted drops and avoiding the trigger, not antibiotics.

Dr. Jason Gospodarek, OD, who treats pink eye and red eyes in Green Bay

Why the exam matters

Not everything red is pink eye.

Dry eye, a scratched cornea, a foreign body under the lid, a stye, inflammation inside the eye — plenty of red eyes have nothing to do with conjunctivitis, and a few of them need very different treatment, fast.

Under the slit lamp, a trained eye can tell in minutes what's actually going on. That's the difference between an eye exam and a guess — and it's why "wait and see" or a leftover bottle of drops can cost you days of discomfort, or worse.

A red eye deserves a diagnosis, not a guess.

Where to go

Why an eye doctor, not just urgent care.

Urgent care can help with a lot — but most clinics don't have a slit lamp, and a red eye examined with a penlight is easy to misjudge. An optometrist looks at the eye itself, under magnification, and treats what's actually there.

The right equipment

Slit-lamp examination of the cornea, lids and conjunctiva — the standard of care for any red eye.

Prescriptions on the spot

When medicated drops are needed, they're prescribed at the visit — no second stop, no second copay.

Free follow-ups

Sixty days of complimentary follow-up visits per diagnosis, so healing gets checked — not assumed.

Contact lens wearers

Red eyes behind a contact lens get extra scrutiny — infections under a lens can escalate quickly and are treated as a priority.

Common questions

Pink eye questions, answered.

Can an optometrist treat pink eye?

Yes. Dr. Gospodarek diagnoses red eyes with a slit-lamp examination and prescribes medicated drops when they're needed — red eyes, infections and injuries are treated on site, without a referral.

Is pink eye contagious?

Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis are — spread by hands, towels and pillowcases. Allergic conjunctivitis isn't contagious at all. That's one reason the diagnosis matters: it determines how careful your household needs to be.

When can my child go back to school?

It depends on the cause, and many schools want a doctor's evaluation first. After the exam you'll know what your child has, how it's treated, and get practical return-to-school guidance for your situation.

I wear contacts and my eye is red. Should I worry?

Take it seriously. A red eye in a contact lens wearer can be a corneal infection — more serious than ordinary pink eye. Remove the lens, don't put a new one in, and get examined promptly.

When is a red eye an emergency?

Significant pain, light sensitivity, reduced vision, chemical exposure or an injury are not routine pink eye. Call the office right away at 920-355-3055 — and for sight-threatening emergencies, call 911.

Related care

While you're here.

Comprehensive eye exams

The full picture of your vision and eye health — for every age.

Contact lens exams

Fittings and follow-ups that keep lenses comfortable — and eyes healthy under them.

Diabetic eye exams

Annual dilated exams with findings reported back to your physician.

Red eye? Call first.

Walk-ins are welcome, and calling ahead at 920-355-3055 helps the office fit an urgent visit into the day.

Call 920-355-3055