A common infection or inflammation in the conjunctiva of the eye, which causes redness in the visible white portion and symptoms like swollen eyes and excessive tears, is termed pink eye or conjunctivitis. Though often considered an infection, pink eye can also be noninfectious. Microbes like bacteria or virus mostly cause infectious conjunctivitis.

The symptoms vary based on the type of infection or differ for each patient depending on the cause of the inflammation. However, redness is the primary symptom common in every type of pink eye infection. Based on the level of infection and the different symptoms of conjunctivitis, the treatments vary. In the next section, we will discuss the various symptoms and treatments of conjunctivitis or pink eye.

 

Eye inflammation in the conjunctiva that turns the whites of the eye red in color or causes swelling in the eyes is usually termed pink eye. Conjunctivitis either may be caused by bacterial and viral infection or may have noninfectious causes such as allergies or chemical irritants. Though the symptoms vary due to diverse causative agents, some common symptoms make effective treatments necessary. Some of the common symptoms of conjunctivitis include:

In case of bacterial eye infection, a greenish-yellowish sticky discharge from the eye can sometimes lead to eyelids sticking together. Burning sensation and itching in eyes are common in viral infection of pink eye. The infection caused by bacteria or virus is highly contagious. The noninfectious conjunctivitis in the eye isn't contagious but has symptoms like burning and itchy eyes along with a runny nose.

 

The treatments differ based on the cause of the inflammation or conjunctivitis. As pink eye/conjunctivitis can be caused either by virus or bacteria, or by non-infectious agents like allergies or chemical exposure, specialized treatments are available for different type of inflammations or the various symptoms of conjunctivitis. Let us briefly examine each type of pink eye and its treatments.