Which condition is commonly referred to as pink eye and can be an infection or inflammation of the conjunctiva?

• A. Allergic Conjunctivitis
• B. Conjunctivitis
• C. Cataract
• D. Eye Floaters

Answer: (B)

Pink eye is conjunctivitis—the inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva, the clear membrane that covers the white of the eye and lines the inside of the eyelids. When this membrane becomes irritated or infected, it looks red, which is why the term pink eye is used. It can arise from viral or bacterial infections (infection) or from allergies and irritants (inflammation).

Cataract involves clouding of the lens, not the conjunctiva, so it doesn’t cause red, "pink" eyes. Eye floaters are tiny shadows cast by bits in the vitreous humor inside the eye, far behind the conjunctiva, and they don’t produce conjunctival redness either. Allergic conjunctivitis is a type of conjunctivitis caused by allergies, but the broader term for the condition described by pink eye is simply conjunctivitis.