Conjunctivitis (often called "pink eye") is when the clear tissue covering the white part of your eye and the inside of your eyelids gets red, swollen and sticky. It can spread easily among people when caused by a virus or bacteria. Sometimes pink eye is due to an allergic reaction.
In some cases, an antibiotic eye drop may be prescribed for bacterial conjunctivitis. For pink eye caused by allergies, some eye drops can help with itchy and puffy eyes. Viral pink eye symptoms may be relieved with cool, wet compresses on the eyes.
Conjunctivitis usually goes away on its own within 1–2 weeks.
