Additional Information General Description New Jersey Resources Recommended Web Sites Patient Education PubMED Search En Español

Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)

This term describes a group of diseases that cause swelling, itching, burning, and redness of the conjunctiva, the protective membrane that lines the eyelids and covers exposed areas of the sclera, or white of the eye. Conjunctivitis can spread from one person to another and affects millions of Americans at any given time. Conjunctivitis can be caused by a bacterial or viral infection, allergy, environmental irritants, a contact lens product, eyedrops, or eye ointments.

At its onset, conjunctivitis is usually painless and does not adversely affect vision. The infection will clear in most cases without requiring medical care. But for some forms of conjunctivitis, treatment will be needed. If treatment is delayed, the infection may worsen and cause corneal inflammation and a loss of vision.

To read the rest of this article about the eye from the National Eye Institute, please click here: http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/cornealdisease/

The National Eye Institute also offers excellent diagrams of the eye: http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/eyediagram/index.asp