
08/05/2025
Did you know some colds don't only affect your sinuses and cause coughing, they can also affect your eyes!
An eye cold occurs when you have viral conjunctivitis, also known as “pink eye.” Viruses affect mucous membranes in your body, including those in the eyes, lungs, and nose.
Viral conjunctivitis is highly contagious and can be spread by person-to-person contact or by touching an object contaminated by the virus. If someone coughs near you or shakes your hand after wiping their eyes, you may catch pink eye. If you already have a cold, it may spread to your eyes if you cough or sneeze into your hand then rub your eyes.
Call your eye doctor if you have trouble seeing, your symptoms aren’t improving after a week, you have a green or yellow discharge, or you have severe pain when you look at bright lights.
Our optometrists can determine if your symptoms are caused by viral conjunctivitis or another type of conjunctivitis. Although antibiotic eye drops won’t help viral conjunctivitis, they may be prescribed if you have bacterial conjunctivitis.
If you have any questions regarding pink eye, allergies, or dry eyes, call us at 604-770-2095.