When a person witnesses how pink eye may spread through a family or daycare, they may wonder how do you get pink eye? Bacterial and viral pink eye are contagious. Obviously, people do not touch each other’s eyes, so it isn’t typically spread through direct contact unless someone such as a parent gets pink eye from touching or treating a child’s infected eyes.

Pink eye is an infection of the conjunctiva. The conjunctiva is the membrane that covers the outside of the eye. The underside of the eyelids are also considered conjunctiva. Pink eye occurs when the conjunctiva becomes infected with a virus or bacteria. Allergic conjunctivitis is irritation of the conjunctiva due to exposure to an allergen such as smoke or pollen.

An individual may understand exactly how they got allergic conjunctivitis, but for viral and bacterial conjunctivitis, it may be more difficult to identify the exposure that caused it. How do you get pink eye from bacteria or viruses? Bacteria are commonly found in the environment. If people touch something that has bacteria on it that can cause pink eye, then rub their eyes, they can get pink eye.

Viral pink eye is often caused by the same viruses that cause the common cold or cough. Someone with a cold or cough can transmit the virus to someone else. That person may develop a cold or cough. However, if people touch the hands of a person with a cold or cough or something they touched that has been contaminated with mucous and then rub their eyes, they may develop pink eye.

Also, if someone has viral pink eye and touches something after rubbing their eye, someone else could get the pink eye from touching the contaminated object. Therefore, viral pink eye can be caused if they rub their eyes after coming in contact with mucous from someone with a cold or eye secretions from someone with viral pink eye. Frequent hand washing with soap and water can significantly decrease the risk of getting pink eye, colds, or other contagious ailments.

Children tend to spread pink eye from touching things that an infected person touched after the infected person rubbed their eyes. Frequent hand washing and discouraging children from touching their eyes can help prevent the spread of pink eye. Children with pink eye can be taught to wipe their eyes with tissues. They should be instructed to immediately throw the tissue away after use.