Red Eye Exams

As its name implies, your eyes may grow pink or even red from irritation. Other common pink eye symptoms include:

• Watery eyes
• Itchy eyes
• Blurred vision
• Sensitivity to bright light
• Eye discomfort or pain
• Eye discharge

It’s quite common to have several symptoms at one time when you’re dealing with pink eye.

Children tend to get viral pink eye more often than adults, but it can affect anyone. Viral and bacterial pink eye conditions are extremely contagious. If you’re in close contact with someone who has it, you’re likely to get it and spread it to others, too.

If you suffer from an infection such as strep throat or staph, you’re at risk for a bacterial pink eye.

If you have serious allergies, you may also develop an allergic pink eye. It can occur with exposure to any type of environmental allergen and often happens in response to a high pollen count. An allergic pink eye isn’t contagious, but it has the same symptoms as the other forms of pink eye.

Pink eye treatment depends on what your symptoms are and which type of pink eye you have.

Viral pink eye treatment includes symptom relief such as cool compresses, prescription eye drops, and gentle daily eyelid cleansing. In some cases, antiviral medication may be helpful.

Bacterial pink eye treatment typically includes antibiotics in eye drop or ointment form. In some cases, the doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics as well.

Allergic pink eye treatment starts with allergy relief. While the pink eye symptoms may abate with compresses and prescription eye drops, you’ll usually have pink eye again soon unless you treat the underlying allergy. Allergy treatments can include oral medication, allergy shots, and lifestyle changes.

For all types of pink eye, Dr. Malouf typically advises patients to avoid wearing contact lenses until the pink eye is gone.