Eye Infections

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Images

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Women
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Your eyes can get infections from bacteria, fungi, or viruses. Eye infections can occur in different parts of the eye and can affect just one eye or both. Two common eye infections are:

• Conjunctivitis - also known as pink eye. Conjunctivitis is often due to an infection. Children frequently get it, and it is very contagious.
• Stye - a bump on the eyelid that happens when bacteria from your skin get into the hair follicle of an eyelash.

Symptoms of eye infections may include redness, itching, swelling, discharge, pain, or problems with vision. Treatment depends on the cause of the infection and may include compresses, eye drops, creams, or antibiotics.

Start Here

• Eye Problems: Symptom Checker Flowchart (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Fungal Eye Infections Basics (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Symptoms

• Eye Symptoms (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• What Are Dilating Eye Drops? (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)

Treatments and Therapies

• How to Use Eye Drops (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists)
• How to Use Eye Ointments and Gels (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists)

Related Issues

• Eye Infections from Contact Lenses (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
• Inflammation of the Orbit (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Trichiasis (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Acanthamoeba Infections (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Bacterial Keratitis (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
• Blepharitis (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish
• Cellulitis (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)
• Dacryocystitis (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Endophthalmitis (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Fungal Keratitis (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
• Shingles (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
• Stye (Sty) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• What Is Herpes Keratitis (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish

Images

• Blepharitis (VisualDX)

Statistics and Research

• Eye Health Data and Statistics (National Eye Institute) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Eye Infections (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Eye infection risks from Pseudomonas aeruginosa via hand soap and eye...
• Article: Toxocara canis infection in multiple types of animals: ophthalmological and pathological...
• Article: Infectious eye disease in the 21st century-an overview.
• Eye Infections -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• NEI for Kids: Glossary (National Eye Institute)

Find an Expert

• American Optometric Association
• Find an Ophthalmologist (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish
• National Eye Institute

Children

• About the Eye (National Eye Institute)
• Eye Infections (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
• Molluscum Contagiosum (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus)

Teenagers

• Never Buy Decorative Contact Lenses without a Prescription (American Academy of Ophthalmology)

Women

• How to Use Cosmetics Safely around Your Eyes (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Blepharitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• CMV retinitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Corneal ulcers and infections (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Dacryoadenitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Endophthalmitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Eye burning - itching and discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Eye redness (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Meibomianitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Orbital cellulitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Periorbital cellulitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish