How to Tell the Difference Between Allergies and Pink Eye - Article Health

Even though they’re caused by different things, pink eye and allergies have some of the same symptoms, so it’s easy to confuse them.

“Symptoms can really look the same,” says Sunil K. Saini, MD, a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and an allergist in Upland, California. “In both conditions you typically are going to have redness in your eye and tearing.”

That’s because pink eye and allergies are both types of conjunctivitis, a term which just means inflammation of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the outer membrane layer that covers your eyeball and the inside of your eyelids.

So what’s the difference between pink eye and allergies? It comes down to the cause of that inflammation. The condition known commonly as “pink eye” is an infection, caused either by a bacteria or a virus. Allergies are triggered by various irritants, like pollen or pets.

What are the different types of conjunctivitis?
To really understand the difference between pink eye and allergy symptoms–and get the right treatment–it helps to know the different types of conjunctivitis.

Allergic conjunctivitis
On top of red eyes and tearing, allergies can cause your eyes to itch and feel sore or burning. You may also have a gritty feeling in your eye, and it may swell. You might also have other classic signs of allergies, like sneezing or a runny nose.

Bacterial conjunctivitis
The common name for both bacterial and viral conjunctivitis is pink eye. Bacterial pink eye is less common than viral pink eye and has symptoms that are different from both viral pink eye and allergies.

Viral conjunctivitis
This is the most common form of pink eye, and it can be hard to stop it from spreading.


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