Conjunctivitis, or pink eye, typically causes the white of the eye to become pink or red. You may also have additional symptoms, including itching, burning, or watering eyes, among others.

Conjunctivitis occurs when an infection or an irritant causes inflammation in the conjunctiva. As its common name suggests, conjunctivitis can cause the eyes to appear pink or red. This happens because the blood vessels in the conjunctiva dilate or swell.

Symptoms of pink eye can vary from person to person and may look different in adults than in children and infants. They may also be different depending on the cause of conjunctivitis.

Keep reading to learn about the common and less common symptoms of conjunctivitis, other potential causes for those symptoms, and when to get medical attention.

Conjunctivitis in adults typically causes symptoms like:

Some people may experience less common symptoms, like:

It’s best to avoid wearing contact lenses while you have conjunctivitis.

In children, pink eye can cause symptoms similar to the ones it causes in adults, including:

  • burning or itching
  • grittiness in the eye
  • eyes watering
  • yellow to green eye discharge, which can indicate bacterial conjunctivitis
  • difficulty opening the eyes in the morning

However, children may also have additional symptoms, depending on the cause of conjunctivitis. These can include:

In infants, conjunctivitis requires urgent medical attention. In an infant, it may look like:

Learn more about pink eye in children.

You can usually manage conjunctivitis symptoms at home with home remedies and over-the-counter (OTC) products while you wait for it to clear up on its own. This can include:

  • OTC eye drops called artificial tears
  • using a cold compress over the eyes
  • cleaning your eyelids

Viral conjunctivitis can take 1 to 3 weeks to clear, though symptoms may start to improve after 4 to 5 days. Because it’s very contagious, it’s best to stay home from work and school until it clears up.

Bacterial conjunctivitis usually gets better in 2 to 5 days but can take up to 2 weeks to go away. Doctors treat this type of conjunctivitis with antibiotics.

If you have conjunctivitis due to allergies, eye drops specifically formulated for allergies may help it go away.

Learn more about how to get rid of pink eye.

While conjunctivitis usually goes away on its own, you may need medical treatment depending on your symptoms and the cause of your conjunctivitis.

For instance, if your conjunctivitis results from a bacterial infection and it doesn’t go away on its own, you may need a course of antibiotics to treat the infection.

Conjunctivitis can have symptoms that are similar to other health conditions affecting the eye that may need treatment.

You may need medical attention if:

  • your symptoms do not improve or worsen after a few days
  • you have a lot of eye discharge or pain
  • you have blurry vision or light sensitivity that doesn’t improve after removing eye discharge
  • you scratched your eye recently or regularly wear contacts
  • you have a compromised immune system or take immune-suppressing medication for a health condition, including those for autoimmune disease or cancer

Conjunctivitis can be contagious if it results from a viral or bacterial infection. It can spread when bacterial or viral particles from one person’s eye enter another person’s eye. You can help avoid contracting and transmitting conjunctivitis by:

  • washing your hands frequently with soap and water
  • avoiding rubbing the eyes and washing hands before touching the eye
  • not sharing personal items, such as towels, bedding, makeup brushes, and glasses

Conjunctivitis usually causes pink or red eyes. People also tend to experience itching, burning, or eye discharge, though pink eye can cause various symptoms.

If your symptoms are concerning, do not seem to improve, or get worse, it’s best to seek medical attention.