Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFrequent SymptomsBy CauseComplicationsWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Pink Eye GuideHow Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis) Is Treated
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Frequent Symptoms
By Cause
Complications
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Pink Eye Guide
© Verywell, 2018
When some people hear the term “pink eye,” they often take it to mean the highly contagious viral form known asepidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC). EKC is associated with thecold virusand can sweep through a school, daycare, or office as those who are infected cough, sneeze and pass the virus to peers.
However, other bacteria and viruses can also cause conjunctivitis, as can allergies or chemical contaminants.
Symptoms of EKC are in line with those common to all forms of conjunctivitis, including:
While EKC is usually limited to the above, other forms may involve these and additional symptoms.
Pink eye can be contagious or non-contagious.If you suspect you have it, a healthcare provider can evaluate your symptoms to determine both the cause and the appropriate course of treatment.
Conjunctivitis can be broadly classified into three groups: infectious conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and chemical conjunctivitis.
While they all tend to manifest with symptoms of redness, discomfort, and tearing, there may be subtle variations that differentiate one from the next.
Viral Conjunctivitis
Viral conjunctivitis is associated with upper respiratory infections and colds. It usually affects only one eye but may affect both if you rub your eyes.
Typically, if you have viral conjunctivitis, the third through fifth days of the infection will be the worst. After that, the eyes will begin to improve on their own.
In addition to EKC, other viral causes include theherpes simplex virus (HSV), which can affect children and cause recurrent infections in adults. While less common than EKC, it can be more problematic if it moves toward the center of the cornea (clear covering of the colored portion of the eye).
Bacterial Conjunctivitis
Unlike the viral form of pink eye, bacterial conjunctivitis will typically affect both eyes and produce a thick, yellow-green discharge. Among the bacterial types involved,Staphylococcus, Streptococcus,Corynebacterium, Haemophilus, Pseudomonas,andMoraxellaspecies are the most common.
Because the purulent (pus) discharge can be profuse, the crust around the eyes will usually be thicker and may even “glue” the eyelids shut in the morning. Swollen lymph nodes are less common but can occur with severegonorrheal infections.
Gonorrhea orchlamydiamay also cause a form of conjunctivitis known as ophthalmia neonatorum in which the bacterium is transferred to a newborn’s eyes as it passes through the mother’s birth canal.While most of these infections are avoided due to the standard use of antibiotics after delivery, untreated infections can lead to eye pain, swelling, and a purulent discharge within the first month of life.
Allergic Conjunctivitis
While excessive tearing is common, eye discharge is less so. In severe cases, a rash can break out on the conjunctiva itself.
Another form of allergic conjunctivitis, known asgiant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC), is caused when a persistent foreign object on the eye (such as contact lenses or eye sutures) triggers the development of pimple-like papules on the inner eyelid.
Chemical Conjunctivitis
Exposure to harsher chemicals may take longer to resolve. Injuries like these can trigger the hyperproduction of eye mucus (an immune response meant to protect the eye) or cause the proteins of conjunctiva break down to form a protective barrier over the cornea. Vision loss may be temporary or permanent depending on the extent of the corneal injury.
Most cases of conjunctivitis are relatively mild and will not cause eye damage of any sort. In rare cases, complications may develop that can be serious and even life-threatening.
Among some of more commonly seen complications of conjunctivitis:
As certain types of pink eye are contagious, you should see a healthcare provider if your symptoms are accompanied swollen lymph glands or anysigns of a respiratory infection. This is especially true for school-age children who are common targets of community-transmitted viruses.
Even if there are no other overt symptoms, you should still see a healthcare provider or ophthalmologist if your pink eye persists for longer than two weeks.
On the other hand, you should call your healthcare provider immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms:
These are signs of a severe infection that may require more aggressive treatment.
Learn MoreTypes of Eye Drops for Pink Eye
What Is Conjunctivitis?
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pink eye: causes.Meyer-rüsenberg B, Loderstädt U, Richard G, Kaulfers PM, Gesser C.Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis: the current situation and recommendations for prevention and treatment. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2011;108(27):475-80. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2011.0475National Eye Institute.Pink eye.Azher, T.; Yin, X.; Tajfirouz, D. et al.Herpes simplex keratitis: challenges in diagnosis and clinical management.Clin Ophthalmol.2017; 11:185-91. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S80475Goodman, D.; Rogers, J.; and Livingston, E.Conjunctivitis.JAMA.2013; 309(20):2176. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4432Palafox S.; Jasper, S.; Tauber, A. et al.Ophthalmia Neonatorum.J Clinic Experiment Ophthalmol. 2011; 2:119. doiI:10.4172/2155-9570.1000119.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Giant papillary conjunctivitis.Zikic A, Schünemann H, Wi T, Lincetto O, Broutet N, Santesso N.Treatment of Neonatal Chlamydial Conjunctivitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2018;7(3):e107-e115. doi:10.1093/jpids/piy060Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pink eye: how it spreads.Cleveland Clinic.Pink eye (conjunctivitis).Azari AA, Barney NP.Conjunctivitis: a systematic review of diagnosis and treatment[published correction appears inJAMA. 2014 Jan 1;311(1):95. Dosage error in article text].JAMA. 2013;310(16):1721-1729. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.280318
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pink eye: causes.Meyer-rüsenberg B, Loderstädt U, Richard G, Kaulfers PM, Gesser C.Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis: the current situation and recommendations for prevention and treatment. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2011;108(27):475-80. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2011.0475National Eye Institute.Pink eye.Azher, T.; Yin, X.; Tajfirouz, D. et al.Herpes simplex keratitis: challenges in diagnosis and clinical management.Clin Ophthalmol.2017; 11:185-91. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S80475Goodman, D.; Rogers, J.; and Livingston, E.Conjunctivitis.JAMA.2013; 309(20):2176. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4432Palafox S.; Jasper, S.; Tauber, A. et al.Ophthalmia Neonatorum.J Clinic Experiment Ophthalmol. 2011; 2:119. doiI:10.4172/2155-9570.1000119.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Giant papillary conjunctivitis.Zikic A, Schünemann H, Wi T, Lincetto O, Broutet N, Santesso N.Treatment of Neonatal Chlamydial Conjunctivitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2018;7(3):e107-e115. doi:10.1093/jpids/piy060Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pink eye: how it spreads.Cleveland Clinic.Pink eye (conjunctivitis).Azari AA, Barney NP.Conjunctivitis: a systematic review of diagnosis and treatment[published correction appears inJAMA. 2014 Jan 1;311(1):95. Dosage error in article text].JAMA. 2013;310(16):1721-1729. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.280318
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pink eye: causes.Meyer-rüsenberg B, Loderstädt U, Richard G, Kaulfers PM, Gesser C.Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis: the current situation and recommendations for prevention and treatment. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2011;108(27):475-80. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2011.0475National Eye Institute.Pink eye.Azher, T.; Yin, X.; Tajfirouz, D. et al.Herpes simplex keratitis: challenges in diagnosis and clinical management.Clin Ophthalmol.2017; 11:185-91. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S80475Goodman, D.; Rogers, J.; and Livingston, E.Conjunctivitis.JAMA.2013; 309(20):2176. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4432Palafox S.; Jasper, S.; Tauber, A. et al.Ophthalmia Neonatorum.J Clinic Experiment Ophthalmol. 2011; 2:119. doiI:10.4172/2155-9570.1000119.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Giant papillary conjunctivitis.Zikic A, Schünemann H, Wi T, Lincetto O, Broutet N, Santesso N.Treatment of Neonatal Chlamydial Conjunctivitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2018;7(3):e107-e115. doi:10.1093/jpids/piy060Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pink eye: how it spreads.Cleveland Clinic.Pink eye (conjunctivitis).Azari AA, Barney NP.Conjunctivitis: a systematic review of diagnosis and treatment[published correction appears inJAMA. 2014 Jan 1;311(1):95. Dosage error in article text].JAMA. 2013;310(16):1721-1729. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.280318
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pink eye: causes.
Meyer-rüsenberg B, Loderstädt U, Richard G, Kaulfers PM, Gesser C.Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis: the current situation and recommendations for prevention and treatment. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2011;108(27):475-80. doi:10.3238/arztebl.2011.0475
National Eye Institute.Pink eye.
Azher, T.; Yin, X.; Tajfirouz, D. et al.Herpes simplex keratitis: challenges in diagnosis and clinical management.Clin Ophthalmol.2017; 11:185-91. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S80475
Goodman, D.; Rogers, J.; and Livingston, E.Conjunctivitis.JAMA.2013; 309(20):2176. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4432
Palafox S.; Jasper, S.; Tauber, A. et al.Ophthalmia Neonatorum.J Clinic Experiment Ophthalmol. 2011; 2:119. doiI:10.4172/2155-9570.1000119.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Giant papillary conjunctivitis.
Zikic A, Schünemann H, Wi T, Lincetto O, Broutet N, Santesso N.Treatment of Neonatal Chlamydial Conjunctivitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2018;7(3):e107-e115. doi:10.1093/jpids/piy060
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pink eye: how it spreads.
Cleveland Clinic.Pink eye (conjunctivitis).
Azari AA, Barney NP.Conjunctivitis: a systematic review of diagnosis and treatment[published correction appears inJAMA. 2014 Jan 1;311(1):95. Dosage error in article text].JAMA. 2013;310(16):1721-1729. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.280318
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