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Pinkeye

What to Do if You Think You Have Pinkeye

Medical Author: Andrew A. Dahl, MD, FACS
Editor: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Learn about symptoms, signs, treatment, and prevention of pinkeye. Every day, I, as an ophthalmologist (a medical doctor who specializes in medical and surgical treatment of eye diseases) receive at least one telephone call from a patient who says, "I think I have pinkeye." When I ask him or her what the symptoms are, he usually will tell me that one or both eyes are red, tearing, itching, and uncomfortable. I will then ask him to come in for an examination that day.

Pinkeye is a nonmedical term which is commonly used by patients to describe conjunctivitis, an inflammation of the conjunctiva (the transparent covering of the white of the eye and inside of the eyelids). I consider pinkeye as synonymous with viral conjunctivitis, an infection caused by a variety of viruses in the eye.

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Pinkeye Overview

Pinkeye is an inflammation of the conjunctiva (the outermost transparent covering of the white of the eye and the inside of the eyelids) in the eye. This inflammation may lead to redness, tearing, discharge, itching, and pain. Pinkeye is also called conjunctivitis.

Pinkeye Causes

Pinkeye is a nonmedical term that encompasses several medical causes of conjunctivitis.

Most ophthalmologists (physicians who specialize in medical and surgical treatment of eye diseases) consider the term pinkeye to refer to viral conjunctivitis, an infection caused by a variety of viruses.

Other causes of conjunctivitis include bacterial infection, allergic reactions, chemical or irritant exposures, and ocular drying or irritation.