While pink eye can certainly cause pain and swelling, the good news is that there are treatments available to help you get over the infection. Most of the time, you will want to make an appointment with your doctor to verify that you do have pink eye. Some people may confuse eye allergies or other eye problems with pink eye. Those treatments will not work for pink eye. After you have verified that you do have conjunctivitis, then take a look at some of the following treatment options.

See your doctor first:
The first step in finding the right treatment option for your pink eye is to see your doctor or your ophthalmologist. There, you can find out exactly what kind of pink eye you have because there are different types. Conjunctivitis caused by seasonal allergies will require allergy medications rather than a prescription antibiotic. When you get a prescription, the eye drops or ointment will help your eye heal and will reduce the swelling and discomfort.

Find a medication that works:
Antibiotic eye drops are always a good option for pink eye caused by a viral or bacterial pink eye. Sometimes, anti-inflammatory medications may help with the redness and swelling as well. Ocular decongestions are also good medications for some forms of pink eye. If you have a very serious case of pink eye, then you may need to take oral antibiotics to help clear the infection.

While you have pink eye, you will have to be very careful not to spread the infection, as most forms of pink eye are highly contagious. You should take the time to wash your hands and use antibacterial hand gel and disinfectant spray. This can kill the infection on items that you touch such as the telephone, light switches and computer keyboards.