Pink Eye Treatment

What is Pink Eye?

Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, simply implies inflammation of the part of the eye called the conjunctiva. Inflammation of the conjunctiva can come from two categories:

Allergies (Allergic conjunctivitis)
Infections - This category is further subdivided into two categories:
- Viral conjunctivitis
- Bacterial conjunctivitis

Although there are some symptoms that can help a clinician between the first two categories, it can often be very difficult to tell the difference in viral and bacterial conjunctivitis.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Pink Eye?

Symptoms of pink eye can include:

Redness of the eye
Pain or irritation in the eye
Discharge from the eye: A green or yellow discharge can suggest a bacterial cause
Itching of the eye
A feeling that there is small foreign body on the surface of the eye
Matting or gluing of the eyelids together upon waking

What are the Treatment Options for Pink Eye?

Depending on the cause of the pink eye, there can be several treatment options. For allergic
conjunctivitis, the following drops are very helpful:

Pataday (Olaptadine)
Ketotifen (an antihistamine eye drop)

Should the clinician think you more likely have infectious conjunctivitis, he/she may prescribe
one of the following eye drops:

Tobramycin drops
Ofloxaxin drops
Erythromycin drops
Polymixin B/ Trimethoprim

When Should You See a Doctor for Pink Eye?

If you think you may have symptoms of pink eye, it is always best to let one of our clinicians
evaluate you. At minimum, early treatment of pink eye can help get students back to school
sooner and employees back to work sooner. Also, there are plenty of other eye problems or
diseases that can mimic the symptoms of pink eye. For this reason, it is best to allow one of our
clinicians evaluate your eye and ensure there is no other, more serious problem.