Pink Eye
Educational information. Individual clinical review of this presentation by Dr. Ehsan is not yet documented. It does not replace personal medical evaluation.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine. Read the original source
MedlinePlus data edition September 26, 2026. Imported September 27, 2026. These dates do not indicate a new clinical review of the article.
Conjunctivitis is the medical name for pink eye. It involves inflammation of the outer layer of the eye and inside of the eyelid. It can cause swelling, itching, burning, discharge, and redness. Causes include:
- Bacterial or viral infection
- Allergies
- Substances that cause irritation
- Contact lens products, eye drops, or eye ointments
Pink eye usually does not affect vision. Infectious pink eye can easily spread from one person to another. The infection will clear in most cases without medical care, but bacterial pink eye needs treatment with antibiotic eye drops or ointment.
NIH: National Eye Institute
Symptoms, tests and care options
Further reading selected by MedlinePlus. Links open the original organizations’ websites.
- Choosing Wisely When It Comes to Eye Care: Antibiotics for Pink Eye · American Academy of Ophthalmology
- Dilating Eye Drops · American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
Questions for your care team
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- How does this information apply to my situation?
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- Which tests are useful, and what can they tell us?
- What care options, benefits, and risks should we discuss?
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- When is follow-up, and how will we know whether the plan is working?
For a life-threatening emergency, call 911 in the U.S. or your local emergency number.
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