Pink Eye Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Options

Itchy, reddish eyes flooded with watery discharge or mucus may signal a visit from an unwelcome guest: pink eye. Also called conjunctivitis, pink eye occurs when your conjunctiva (a thin layer of tissue that covers the white part of the eye and inside of the eyelids) becomes inflamed due to a virus, bacterial infection or allergy. Keep reading to find out more about ways to tackle this common eye issue.

What Are Common Causes and Types of Pink Eye?

Pink eye is unfortunately easy to contract because of its highly contagious nature. If a person's hand or an object is contaminated with a virus or bacteria and then they touch their eye, the eye may become infected. There are various types of pink eye including:

• Viral conjunctivitis
• Bacterial conjunctivitis
• Allergic conjunctivitis
• Ophthalmia neonatorum

Both viral and bacterial conjunctivitis can be highly contagious and spread from person to person, and from one eye to the other of the same person. Pink eye caused by allergies, also called allergic conjunctivitis, occurs when a person comes into contact with an allergen such as pollen, mold or animal dander. Ophthalmia neonatorum (conjunctivitis of the newborn) is a bacterial, chlamydial or viral eye infection occurring within the first 30 days of life that can have serious consequences if not addressed immediately.

What Are the Symptoms of Pink Eye?

In general, pink eye is an eye that is itchy, watery or filled with mucus or pus. The mucus or pus may be particularly thick in the case of a bacterial infection. Pink eye caused by a virus, on the other hand, typically produces watery discharge and may be accompanied by cold or flu symptoms. Allergy-related pink eye usually affects both eyes as opposed to one and makes your eyes itch, tear and swell. It may appear along with other common allergy symptoms such as sneezing or itching in the nose.

Will Pink Eye Go Away by Itself or Should I Call a Doctor?

In most cases, the pesky, unwanted pink eye visitor will leave on its own after a week or so, with no major intervention needed. However, if a week or more has passed and the problem is still there or getting worse, you need to call a doctor. If your eye is hurting, is sensitive to light or if you experience blurry vision that does not go away even when you wipe discharge from the eye, you'll want to call your doctor. If your eye is brimming with pus or mucus, that is likely a sign of bacterial conjunctivitis, which may need to be treated with antibiotics prescribed by a doctor. Finally, newborns with pink eye symptoms should be examined by a doctor immediately since ophthalmia neonatorum may cause severe eye damage or even blindness.

How Long Does Pink Eye Last?

Viral conjunctivitis will usually go away after a week or two, although some cases may take up to three weeks. Conjunctivitis caused by bacteria typically gets better in two to five days without treatment but may take two weeks to disappear for good. Pink eye caused by allergies likely won't go away for as long as the person remains exposed to the allergen that is causing it.

What Can I Do to Relieve Some of the Pink Eye Symptoms?

It is important to know what is causing the pink eye. Although most cases of viral conjunctivitis go away on their own, more severe viral infections, and those caused by bacteria can be severe and need medical attention and prescription eye drops or oral antibiotics. It is important to seek the advice of your eye care professional early on, to make sure your condition does not become serious.

Allergic conjunctivitis should also be treated by a doctor, who may recommend medication to address symptoms.

If you suspect you have pink eye, you may want to take some basic precautions. The first step is good hygiene. Take out your contact lenses and wash off eye makeup if you are wearing any. This will help prevent further irritation.

You can also try home remedies to lessen any discomfort. Examples include applying lubricating eye drops or putting a cool, damp washcloth or cold compress over the eyelids. An over-the-counter painkiller may help with symptoms of bacterial conjunctivitis or viral conjunctivitis whereas allergy medicine, eye drops or ointment may bring some relief for the allergic conjunctivitis.

Avoid touching the affected eye, wash your hands with soap and water and keep your eyes clean by washing any discharge off with fresh cotton balls that should then be thrown away.

Can I Go to Work or School With Pink Eye and How Contagious Is It?

You don't necessarily have to miss work or school when you have pink eye, but it depends on your situation and symptoms. Remember, it can be highly contagious. For example, it is not a good idea to go to work if you are going to be in close proximity to others, or if you work in a health care facility, with children or the elderly. If your pink eye occurs along with cold and flu symptoms, wait until all symptoms have cleared up. Parents of kids with pink eye should call the school or daycare and ask what its policy is. Some may recommend that the child stays home until their symptoms disappear to prevent outbreaks.

Can There Be Complications to My Vision from Pink Eye?

The vast majority of pink eye cases do not cause any complications. In very rare instances, the condition may lead to chronic inflammation of the cornea and permanent vision problems. However, it is most dangerous in newborns, who may contract it when exposed to chlamydia or gonorrhea in their mother's birth canal during delivery. Pink eye may even cause blindness in newborns, so it should be treated immediately when symptoms are first spotted.

All in all, pink eye in adults is not normally a huge deal, but if it is not going away or symptoms are getting worse, call your ophthalmologist or optometrist.

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Author Bio

Dr. Alexandra Chebil, M.D., F.R.C.S.C.

Dr. Alexandra Chebil is a board-certified ophthalmologist with the Lasik Center Medical Group in Newport Beach, California, who has more than 25 years of experience with refractive surgery and noninvasive facial aesthetic procedures. She was one of the first ophthalmologists to perform LASIK, and has successfully performed more than 70,000 procedures.