Your guide to prescription pink eye medications

Pink eye is an eye condition that causes swelling and redness around your eyelid and inside your eye. It’s known medically as conjunctivitis. Other symptoms include:

• itching or burning eyes
• watery eyes
• crusty eyelids and lashes
• white, yellow, or green fluid coming from your eyes
• light sensitivity
• blurry vision

Anyone can get pink eye, and it can spread easily. Most of the time, pink eye is caused by a viral or bacterial infection, but it may also be caused by allergies or other irritants. You might not always need to see a doctor for pink eye, but if you do, they may prescribe medications for your condition.

The most common medications include antibiotics or antiviral medications. You might also try some over-the-counter (OTC) medications and self-care remedies to help soothe your symptoms.

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Bacterial pink eye treatment

Bacterial conjunctivitis is one of the most common forms of pink eye, and it’s very transmissible, especially among children. Different types of bacteria can cause it, and it’s usually spread through direct contact with someone with the infection.

The symptoms of bacterial conjunctivitis can overlap with other forms, which can make it difficult to diagnose. However, certain signs are most commonly associated with bacterial pink eye. These include pus coming from the eye that returns after being removed, or puss that’s thick and sticks to the eyelashes.

Acute bacterial conjunctivitis often goes away on its own within 2 weeks without treatment. But if treatment is necessary, doctors will prescribe topical antibiotics, often in the form of eye drops. These can help ease symptoms and help you heal quicker.

Some examples include:

• ciprofloxacin (Ciloxan)
• ofloxacin (Ocuflox)
• levofloxacin (Iquix)
• azithromycin (AzaSite)

Eye drops are usually administered every 2 to 6 hours for up to 7 days. Doctors may also prescribe oral antibiotics, but this is very rare. Eye drops and ointments, such as bacitracin (AK-Poly-Bac), are more commonly used.

Note that doctors only prescribe antibiotics if you have a bacterial infection. These antibiotics may not be effective against other types of infections.

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Viral pink eye treatment

Viruses are the most common cause of pink eye, especially a type called an adenovirus. If you have viral conjunctivitis, you might have other symptoms of a viral infection, such as a sore throat or cold symptoms. Watering and itching eyes are also key signs of a viral pink eye infection.

Viral pink eye will often go away on its own without medications within up to 3 weeks. Doctors generally recommend self-care remedies to manage your symptoms.

In some cases, doctors recommend povidone iodine to help prevent the spread of viral conjunctivitis, ease symptoms, and speed up recovery.

If your conjunctivitis is due to the herpes simplex virus, doctors will prescribe antiviral medications. These include:

• trifluridine 1% eye drops (Viroptic)
• ganciclovir 0.15% topical gel (Zirgan)
• oral acyclovir tablets (Zovirax)

Oral antivirals, such as famciclovir or valacyclovir (Valtrex), are also used for herpes zoster conjunctivitis.

Allergic pink eye treatment

In some cases, conjunctivitis happens due to an allergic reaction to an allergen like pollen or pet dander. The main recommendation for allergic pink eye is to avoid the allergen, alongside using some self-care remedies to ease your symptoms.

Doctors might also recommend OTC or prescription medications, including:

• Antihistamine eye drops: These include ketotifen fumarate (Zaditor), which is available OTC. These may also include olopatadine hydrochloride (Pataday), which is available OTC and on prescription.
• Oral antihistamines: These are usually available OTC. Examples include cetirizine (Zyrtec) and loratadine (Claritin).
• Mast cell stabilizer eye drops: One example is lodoxamide tromethamine (Alomide).

Note that this form of conjunctivitis isn’t contagious, but it may come back regularly if you’re often exposed to allergens.

Home remedies for pink eye

Alongside these prescription medical treatments, doctors often recommend home remedies to soothe pink eye symptoms while you heal, whether or not you need medications.

OTC pain relievers can help manage pain related to conjunctivitis, such as ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve), and acetaminophen (Tylenol). You might also consider trying artificial tears, which come in the form of eye drops and can help ease some symptoms.

Another option is to try cool compresses on your eyes. This involves placing a damp, cold washcloth over your eyes and resting.

Finally, consider avoiding contact lenses and eye makeup while you recover. And replace old contact lenses and eye products to avoid getting conjunctivitis again in the future.

When to see a doctor

While pink eye can often go away on its own, you should consider speaking with a healthcare professional if you see no improvement in your symptoms in around 5 days. You should also consider making an appointment if your symptoms are very severe or affecting your vision.

Online care services, including Optum Perks Online Care, may make getting treatment easier. With these services, you can submit an online form answering a few questions about your symptoms, and a US-licensed healthcare professional will respond soon after to prescribe a treatment plan.

Summary

Pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis, is an eye infection that can be very uncomfortable. It can have many causes, including viruses, bacteria, or even allergies. The cause of your symptoms will determine the best treatment.

In most cases, regardless of the cause, conjunctivitis will go away on its own. Experts recommend self-care measures like OTC pain relievers and cool compresses to soothe your symptoms. But if your symptoms don’t seem to be improving, doctors might prescribe medications.

Antibiotics are used to manage bacterial pink eye, while antivirals may be used for some viral infections. You can manage allergic pink eye with OTC or prescription allergy medications.

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