11 Conjunctivitis Symptoms and 4 Main Causes

Conjunctivitis Causes


There are a number of factors that cause eye conjunctivitis. Different factors are responsible for different types of conjunctivitis. Causes of the disease depend on the surrounding of the person, finding out the conjunctivitis causes of the disease is very much necessary as it makes the allergic conjunctivitis treatment very effective.

1. Viral Causes (Viral Conjunctivitis)

Viruses are the main conjunctivitis causes. More than half of the conjunctivitis cases are caused due to viruses. Different kind of viruses are responsible for causing viral conjunctivitis, the most common among them is an adenovirus. Viral conjunctivitis is highly contagious and can spread from one person to another easily.

2. Bacterial Causes (Bacterial Conjunctivitis)

Bacterial conjunctivitis is caused by bacterial infections. It is also very contagious as it could easily spread to others with a little contact with the affected person or his surroundings. The affected person needs to take special care to prevent others from the infection. Bacterias could be present inside the body itself and can cause conjunctivitis.

3. Allergic Causes (Allergic Conjunctivitis)

Allergic conjunctivitis which is commonly called eye allergy is caused by allergens. If a person is allergic to certain substances then chances of developing allergic conjunctivitis increase. Common allergens are cosmetics, pollen, smoke, dust particles, animals, perfumes, and other toxic substances. This type of conjunctivitis is not contagious as it only targets people with certain allergies.

4. Chemical Causes (Chemical Conjunctivitis)

Chemicals can also cause conjunctivitis. Contact with any chemical substance with the eyes can cause chemical conjunctivitis in the eyes, it is a very serious condition which can harm the eye a lot. Chemical conjunctivitis can develop with the contact of any foreign substance with the eyes. It needs to be treated as soon as possible and affected person should contact an eye specialist as soon as possible.

5. Other conjunctivitis causes

There is some other less common conjunctivitis causes present like sexually transmitted diseases, reactive arthritis, relapsing polychondritis, Blepharitis, Acute glaucoma, Keratitis, Iritis, blocked tear duct in newborns, etc.

Conjunctivitis Symptoms


There are a lot of visible signs and conjunctivitis symptoms in an affected person. Usually, a person affected by conjunctivitis gets treated by the body itself within two weeks but in some cases, it may take longer or requires medical attention. Any case which takes more time than usual then an eye specialist should be contacted as soon as possible. Some of the common conjunctivitis symptoms are as follows-

  1. Pain In The Eyes – Eyes starting paining a lot after few days of the infection. In some cases, the pain increases with time and needs immediate treatment.
  2. Burning Sensation – A person feels a burning sensation in the eyes which makes it difficult to open them.
  3. Red Eyes – The color of the eyes becomes red after the onset of infection.
  4. Watery Eyes – Water starts coming from the eyes due to the overactivation of the tear glands. It is a common allergic conjunctivitis symptom.
  5. Swollen Eyes – Eyes appear heavily swollen and some rashes could be visible around the eyes.
  6. Itching Eyes – A person feels an urge to itching the eyes when suffering from conjunctivitis.
  7. Photophobia – Extreme sensitivity to light is another main sign of conjunctivitis.
  8. Gritty Sensation – A person feels that there’s something present inside the eyes which creates a gritty feeling.
  9. Blurry Vision – The vision of the patient becomes blurred after coming in contact with conjunctivitis.
  10. Sticky Discharge – A thick and sticky discharge starts coming out from the eyes.
  11. Shut Eyes – A condition called shut eyes starts in which a person is unable to open eyes.

Most of the pink eye or conjunctivitis symptoms disappear after a period of two weeks.