Do you have viral or bacterial pink eye? How to tell the difference and get proper treatment

Bacterial pink eye often appears redder than viral pink eye.
While viral pink eye may cause your eyes to water, bacterial pink eye is often accompanied by green or yellow discharge.
Viral pink eye also often begins with a cold, whereas bacterial pink eye is associated with respiratory infections.
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Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, is an infection that causes inflammation of your conjunctiva, a thin membrane that lines the inner surface of your eyelids and the white part of the eyeball.

The condition is referred to as pink eye because of the reddening of your eye when you are infected, and it can also cause other symptoms like itching and swelling.

Viral and bacterial pink eye are the two most common forms of the condition. Although they share many symptoms in common, there are several differences that help distinguish these two forms of conjunctivitis.

Here are the differences between viral and bacterial pink eye and why it’s important for you to know.

Viral vs. bacterial pink eye

There are a few key differences between viral and bacterial pink eye.

Viral pink eye is most often caused by adenoviruses. These are the same viruses that are responsible for the common cold and some respiratory infections. This is why colds often accompany this type of pink eye.

Viral pink eye is contagious and can spread easily. This form of pink eye tends to clear up on its own in a couple of days or a week or two.

Bacterial pink eye is caused by bacteria like streptococcus pneumonia or staphylococcus aureus. Bacterial pink eye is also contagious and can spread from person to person.

If left alone, a mild case of bacterial pink eye should start to clear up on its own in about 7 to 10 days. However, using antibiotics to treat it can start to alleviate the symptoms in just 24 hours.

Symptoms

Both versions of pink eye have been known to cause any of the following symptoms:

Pink discoloration of the sclera, which is the white part of your eyes
Tearing
Itchiness
Eye swelling
A burning sensation

How to tell if you have viral or bacterial pink eye

There are a few questions you should consider when trying to figure out whether you have viral or bacterial pink eye.

Do you have eye discharge? Viral pink eye may cause your eyes to water, but bacterial pink eye often causes thick yellow or green discharge.

"While not a foolproof method of diagnosis, you can still potentially gauge whether a case of pink eye is bacterial or viral by observing the discharge coming from the eye," says Nishita Patel, MD, an ophthalmologist at Halifax Health. "A viral case will often lead to a more watery discharge, while a bacterial case will lead to more pus and 'crust' production.

How red are your eyes? In some cases, the eyes of a person with bacterial pink eye will look redder than those of a person who has viral pink eye.

Viral pink eye will also typically start in one eye, whereas bacterial pink eye is present in both eyes. However, both can start in one eye and spread to the other.

Do you have another infection? "Viral pink eye very often begins with a cold or other viral respiratory infection, while bacterial pink eye is often caused by an ear infection or bacterial respiratory infection." says Patel.

One of the most common indications of a virus causing your pink eye is when it's accompanied by the common cold. In this case, you might also experience cold symptoms like a cough or a sore throat.

How did you get it? Viral pink eye can be contracted when a person sneezes or coughs, and the droplets get into your eyes.

However, bacterial pink eye is more commonly contracted by touching your eyes with dirty hands, using old, unclean makeup, or sharing eye care products with someone who has pink eye.

Treatment

Treatment for bacterial pink eye is typically made up of an antibiotic ointment or drug prescribed by your ophthalmologist. Bacterial pink eye will clear up about 24 hours after you start treatment for it.

However, antibiotics won't clear up a viral pink eye. If left alone, a viral pink eye should start to clear up within a week or two after you were first infected. As your viral pink eye heals you can apply a warm compress daily to help with the discomfort.

If you still have serious symptoms such as severe pain, sensitivity to light, and blurry vision after 7 to 14 days, then you should see an ophthalmologist.

Prevention

Both viral and bacterial pink eye are contagious and can easily spread. Here are some tips to protect yourself from contracting either type of pink eye.

Stop using and throw away all expired makeup, especially eye makeup.
Dirty sheets and towels can easily cause bacterial or viral pink eye. To avoid this keep all towels, sheets, and linen clean.
Avoid sharing personal eye care things like sunglasses and eye creams with other people
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Insider's takeaway

Viral and bacterial pink eye are uncomfortable eye infections that should clear up on their own in a week or two. If symptoms of your pink eye only worsen in this period, then you should speak to a doctor immediately.

Understanding what causes them and how they spread is the first step to help you prevent it from occurring. Maintaining clean habits like regular hand washing, and doing your laundry especially your sheets and towels regularly will also help you prevent it.