Most of us have had the experience of a little itchy feeling in our eyes; we rub the itchy eye with our finger, our eye starts to tear and turns red, and the itchy feeling continues. This could be the start of an eye infection. Eye infections are very common, can affect both eyes, and can occur at any age. Some are highly contagious and care should be taken to not spread the infection to others, or your other eye. Infections of the cornea, which is the clear membrane over the center of the eye, are not as common, but can seriously affect your vision. The three primary areas of the eyes that are susceptible to infection are the eyelids, cornea, and conjunctiva (moist area that covers the inside of the eyelid and outer part of the eye). Based on their cause, the most common eye infections fall into one of three specific categories: viral, bacterial, and fungal, and all require different treatments. Below are the most commonly treated eye infections: - Conjunctivitis – commonly called “pink eye” is an infection of the conjunctiva and can be viral, bacterial, or an allergic reaction. - Karatitis – Inflammation of the cornea. Can be viral, bacterial, or form parasites in water. Common with those who wear contact lenses. - Stye – A painful red bump under the eyelid or at the base of the eyelashes. A bacterial infection that is not contagious and harmless. - Uveitis – the middle layer of the eye inflammation (uvea). - Blepharitis – Inflammation of the eyelids from bacteria or clogged oil glands. - Fungal eye infection – Rare but serious due to fungal infection. Caused by use of the dirty lens, or following an eye injury. - Endophthalmitis – Severe inflammation inside the eye from bacterial or fungal infection. - Cellulitis – Infection of eye tissue often cause by a scratched eye that introduces infectious bacteria. - Ocular herpes – When the eye becomes infected by the herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), sometimes called eye herpes.