Although not routinely done, your healthcare provider may collect a sample of eye discharge from the infected eye and send it to the laboratory to help them determine which form of infection you have and how best to treat it.
Color or tint of the whites of eye: Salmon (light pink) color may be a sign of a viral infection. A reddish color is more likely to be a bacterial conjunctivitis. If it's in one or both eyes: If you have pink eye that's in both eyes, a virus is probably causing it.
Conjunctivitis is most often caused by germs such as viruses and bacteria. "Pink eye" most often refers to a highly contagious viral infection that spreads easily among children. Conjunctivitis can be found in people with COVID-19 before they have other typical symptoms.
The infection will usually clear up in 7 to 14 days without treatment and without any long-term consequences. However, in some cases, viral conjunctivitis can take 2 to 3 weeks or more to clear up. A doctor can prescribe antiviral medication to treat more serious forms of conjunctivitis.
If you have conjunctivitis but do not have fever or other symptoms, you may be allowed to remain at work or school with your doctor's approval. However, if you still have symptoms, and your activities at work or school include close contact with other people, you should not attend.
Pink eye is most often caused by a virus. It usually occurs at the same time as or right after you have had a cold. Less commonly, pink eye can be caused by infection with bacteria. Dry air, allergies, smoke, and chemicals can also cause pink eye.
Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis (pink eye) are very contagious. They can spread easily from person to person. You can greatly reduce the risk of getting conjunctivitis or spreading it to someone else by following some simple steps for good hygiene.
Generally speaking, there aren't any over-the-counter (OTC) medications that will treat viral or bacterial conjunctivitis. However, they may help alleviate symptoms. Artificial tears are often the first OTC treatments recommended by doctors.
Viral: Pink eye caused by a virus usually clears up within 1 to 2 weeks. But it can take as long as 3 weeks. Bacterial: Even without treatment, mild bacterial conjunctivitis can resolve on its own within a week. More severe cases can take as long as 2 weeks.
The incubation period for pink eye is 24 to 72 hours and the infection is communicable throughout the course of the active infection. Depending on the type of pink eye infection (bacterial or viral), the infection can last anywhere from 3 to 5 days for bacterial cases, and 7 to 14 days in complicated viral cases.
Most of the time, your doctor can diagnose conjunctivitis by using a slit lamp—an instrument that consists of a microscope and a high-energy beam of light. During a slit-lamp exam, your ophthalmologist shines a thin beam of light into your eye.
Redness in one or both eyes. Itchiness in one or both eyes. A gritty feeling in one or both eyes. A discharge in one or both eyes that forms a crust during the night that may prevent your eye or eyes from opening in the morning.
A rapid point-of-care test is now available. It screens for all serotypes of adenovirus and can be run in your healthcare provider's office. In 10 minutes, you will know if you have the virus. 5 In this case, you do not need antibiotics and can save on the cost of treatment.
This depends on what caused the pink eye and the conditions of the surface on which it lives. However, most bacteria are not able to survive after 2 to 8 hours, though some last for 2 days or more. Viruses tend to be more hardy, with most surviving 24 to 48 hours. Some viruses can last up to 8 weeks.
Putting your pink eyes to bed can help ease discomfort and speed healing. “Adequate sleep gives the eyes a break,” says Rubin Naiman, PhD. “During sleep, complex changes occur that replenish the eye's moisture and protection.” Aim to sleep at least 8 hours each night.
Avoid touching or rubbing your eyes. This can worsen the condition or spread it to your other eye. Avoid sharing personal items, such as makeup, eye drops, towels, bedding, contact lenses and containers, and eyeglasses. Do not use the same eye products for your infected and non-infected eyes.
Pharmacists can now offer prescriptions for: hay fever (allergic rhinitis) oral thrush (candidal stomatitis) pink eye (conjunctivitis; bacterial, allergic and viral)
The most common medications for allergic conjunctivitis include: Topical antihistamines work by blocking the action of histamine, which is responsible for triggering the body's allergic response. Examples include bepotastine (Bepreve), emedastine (Emadine) and epinastine (Elestat).
There are several reasons why your eyes may secrete a sticky discharge. Infections or inflammations like conjunctivitis may be the source of your eye stickiness. Other common causes of excessive eye mucus are blepharitis (eyelid inflammation) and dry eye syndrome (DES).
Antibiotics may be helpful when pink eye is caused by bacteria. But antibiotics are rarely necessary for bacterial conjunctivitis because most cases are mild and would resolve on their own within 7 to 14 days without treatment.