The most common pink eye symptoms include:

• Redness in one or both eyes
• Itchiness in one or both eyes
• A gritty feeling in one or both eyes
• A discharge in one or both eyes that forms a crust during the night that may prevent your eye or eyes from opening in the morning
• Tearing

In most cases, your doctor can diagnose pink eye by asking questions about your symptoms and recent health history, making a telehealth appointment is the most convenient option, since an office visit is usually not needed. Rarely, your doctor may need to take a sample of the liquid that drains from your eye for laboratory analysis.

You should see a doctor if you have conjunctivitis along with any of the following:

• Pain in the eye(s)
• Sensitivity to light or blurred vision that does not improve when discharge is wiped from the eye(s)
• Intense redness in the eyes
• Symptoms that get worse or don’t improve , including pink eye thought to be caused by bacteria which does not improve after 24 hours of antibiotic use
• A weakened immune system, for example from HIV infection, cancer treatment, or other medical conditions or treatments

Treatment is usually focused on symptom relief, using artificial tears, cleaning your eyelids with a wet cloth, and applying cold or warm compresses several times daily.

If you wear contact lenses, you’ll be advised to stop wearing them until treatment is complete. Disinfect hard lenses overnight before you reuse them, and ask your doctor if you should discard and replace your contact lens accessories.

Practice good hygiene to control the spread of pink eye:

• Don’t touch your eyes with your hands
• Wash your hands often
• Use a clean towel and washcloth daily
• Don’t share towels or washcloths
• Change your pillowcases often
• Throw away your eye cosmetics, such as mascara
• Don’t share eye cosmetics or personal eye care items