How Does Pink Eye Spread?

What Is Pink Eye?

The technical name for pink eye is “conjunctivitis,” a term that refers to the part of the eyelid that becomes infected — or the “conjunctiva.” The conjunctiva is the clear tissue that coats the outer covering of the eye and the inside surface of the eyelid. The conjunctiva’s job is the keep the eyeball and eyelid moist. When it comes into contact with an allergen, virus, bacteria or other irritant, however, the conjunctiva can become inflamed, leading to pink eye.

Symptoms of Pink Eye

Pink eye is extremely uncomfortable and, for some people, painful. Pink eye symptoms can drastically interfere with your life, making it difficult for you to open your eyes much less go about your daily activities and responsibilities. The symptoms of pink eye, in the order in which they progress, are as follows:

• Itchy eyes, especially when allergies cause the condition
• Redness of the inner eyelid or the white of your eye
• Increasing tearing
• Burning eyes, especially when chemicals or irritants cause the condition
• Thick, yellowish discharge that crusts over your eyelids, especially upon waking up
• White or green discharge from the eye
• Increased sensitivity to light
• Blurred vision
• Swollen eyelids

The sooner you catch pink eye and take steps to treat it, the less likely it is to progress into more debilitating symptoms.

What Causes Pink Eye?

Part of understanding how pink eye spreads involves understanding what causes the condition. Though pink eye is ultimately caused by inflammation, the inflammation itself has eight distinct causes:

• Viruses: The most common causes of conjunctivitis are viruses. Viruses that cause pink eye are everyday viruses, such as the common cold, influenza and COVID-19.
• Allergens: Allergens are another common cause of pink eye. Allergens that typically cause pink eye include pollen, mold and other substances.
• Bacteria: Several types of bacteria cause pink eye, including Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumonia.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Certain sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) — otherwise known as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) — can cause pink eye in both newborns and adults. Some such STIs include gonorrhea, chlamydia and herpes simplex.
• Foreign Object in the Eye: A foreign object stuck in the eye can also cause conjunctivitis.
• Blocked Tear Ducts: Tear ducts that are blocked or that are not open completely can trigger conjunctivitis. This is particularly true in children.
• Autoimmune Disorders: Diseases that cause the immune system to overreact, though rare, can cause conjunctivitis.

With a better understanding of what causes pink eye, you can take steps to prevent its spread.

How Pink Eye Spreads

Pink eye can spread in one of four main ways: through close personal contact, by touching contaminated surfaces, through sexual contact, or by using or sharing makeup products.

• Through Close Contact: Pink eye can easily spread through close personal contact, such as shaking hands or touching. This is particularly true when the condition is caused by a virus or bacteria, which can easily jump from one person to another.
• Touching Contaminated Surfaces: The viruses and bacteria that cause pink eye can live on surfaces for hours in some circumstances. If you touch a contaminated surface and then touch your eye before washing your hands, you are at risk of contracting pink eye.
• Through Sexual Contact: STIs can cause conjunctivitis when the bacteria or viruses that cause the infections somehow make their way to the eyes. This may occur when you touch infected vaginal fluid or semen and then touch your eyes before washing your hands.

Sharing Contaminated Eye Makeup and Materials: If you use an eye makeup product or tool that is contaminated with a pink eye-causing virus or bacteria, you are at risk of developing the condition.

Is Pink Eye Contagious

The viruses and bacteria that cause pink eye are often highly contagious and, therefore, easily spread from person to person. That said, when allergies cause pink eye, the condition is not contagious.

How Long Are You Contagious With Pink Eye?

For how long you are contagious with pink eye depends largely on what causes it: a bacteria or virus. If a virus causes the condition, you will remain contagious for as long as you have symptoms, which is typically days. You may also be capable of spreading conjunctivitis days before symptoms develop.

If, however, bacteria is what is causing your symptoms, you will remain contagious for as long as you have symptoms OR until between 24 to 48 hours of starting antibiotic treatment.