Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypes and Causes of ConjunctivitisSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentPreventionNext in Pink Eye GuideSymptoms of Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types and Causes of Conjunctivitis
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Next in Pink Eye Guide
Because there are many different causes of conjunctivitis, it is important to see a healthcare provider to determine the appropriate treatment, which may include eye drops, oral medications, ointments, and/or comfort measures.
Verywell / Emily Roberts
Pink eye is a fairly common condition with many possible causes. They can be classified into several types: viral conjunctivitis, bacterial conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, chemical conjunctivitis, and autoimmune/inflammatory conjunctivitis.
Viral Conjunctivitis
The most common viral type, which is highly contagious, isepidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC)— what most people are talking about when they refer to pink eye.Viral conjunctivitis can spread through hand-to-eye contact or contaminated objects.
Viral conjunctivitis can be linked to a number of viruses, includingadenoviruses,the measles virus, and herpes simplex virus.
COVID-19 Infection and Eye Pain
Bacterial Conjunctivitis
What Is Bacterial Conjunctivitis?
Allergic Conjunctivitis
Chemical Conjunctivitis
Inflammatory/Autoimmune
This can happen in conditions like ocular rosacea/dry eye, Sjögren’s, and thyroid eye disease.
Is Pink Eye Contagious?
Conjunctivitis: Causes and Risk Factors
Thesymptomsof pink eye are triggered when the immune system responds to an infection or irritant withinflammation. Blood vessels dilate to help immune cells reach the area, causing redness and swelling.
If there is an infection, the accumulation of dead white blood cells and dead bacteria (or viruses) can lead to the formation of pus.
Conjunctivitis symptoms may include:
Bacterial conjunctivitis usually occurs with thick yellowish discharge that can cause your eyes to get crusty and stick together. Viral conjunctivitis typically has a watery, rather than a thick discharge. With chemical conjunctivitis, you may have watery eyes and mucus discharge, with symptoms varying in severity depending on the substance.
When to Call the Healthcare ProviderIt’s not always necessary to see your healthcare provider for conjunctivitis—unless your symptoms are severe or don’t improve within a week.However, you should call your practitioner right away if you have any of the following:Swelling, redness, or tenderness in the eyelids and around the eye (which may signal that the infection is spreading beyond the conjunctiva)FeverPain, sensitivity to light, blurry vision, or intense rednessSymptoms that are not improving despite treatmentA condition that weakens your immune system, such as HIVAny signs of conjunctivitis in a newborn
When to Call the Healthcare Provider
It’s not always necessary to see your healthcare provider for conjunctivitis—unless your symptoms are severe or don’t improve within a week.However, you should call your practitioner right away if you have any of the following:Swelling, redness, or tenderness in the eyelids and around the eye (which may signal that the infection is spreading beyond the conjunctiva)FeverPain, sensitivity to light, blurry vision, or intense rednessSymptoms that are not improving despite treatmentA condition that weakens your immune system, such as HIVAny signs of conjunctivitis in a newborn
It’s not always necessary to see your healthcare provider for conjunctivitis—unless your symptoms are severe or don’t improve within a week.However, you should call your practitioner right away if you have any of the following:
Conjunctivitis Symptoms
If you have symptoms of pink eye, make an appointment to see your primary care physician or eye doctor.
Your healthcare provider will ask you about your symptoms and health history, including eye trauma or contact with others who have had pink eye.
They may examine your eye with a penlight or ophthalmoscope to illuminate or magnify the structures.Your practitioner may gently flip up your upper eyelid to see if there’s a foreign body stuck under your eyelid.You may also be asked to read an eye chart to test your vision.
Depending on the type and severity of your condition, your healthcare provider may want to get a sample of eye discharge to identify the cause of infection.Other tests may include a rapid adenovirus screening to confirm EKC or a fluorescein eye stain to look for abrasions or evidence of a sore or lesion (such as might occur with theherpes simplex virus).
In some cases, your primary care provider may determine that you need a referral to anophthalmologist, optometrist, orallergist. The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that patients be referred to an ophthalmologist when experiencing vision loss, moderate or severe pain, issues with the cornea, scarring of the conjunctiva, lack of response to treatment within a week, recurring conjunctivitis, or a history of herpes simplex virus eye disease.
Thetreatment of pink eyeis dependent on the underlying cause. In some cases, the symptoms may resolve on their own. In other cases, they may require treatment with topicaleye dropsor oral medications to treat an underlying infection.
Among the treatment approaches:
Easing Symptoms
You can help ease symptoms for all types of conjunctivitis treatment with the following at-home steps:
A Word From Verywell
14 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.
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