Like most people, i had it as a kid, but I’ve no idea what it really is, what causes it, and what would happen to you if you didn’t treat it. So cure my ignorance please.
I saw a kid on a mountaineering trip get conjucitivis from the UV rays (his parents hadn’t bought him the real glacier glasses, but cheap sun glasses) on the second day of our 5-day tour. Since we couldn’t get him back in the middle of the trip, his whole head was wrapped around in a dark sweater, to prevent exposure to light. He also had a wet cloth directly above his eyes. It still hurt, but he was able to continue, and once the trip ended, he apparently recovered without problems or permanent damage.
Besides viral or bacterial conjuctivitis, a mild form of pink eye is also caused by cold air drafts, but easily cured with rest in a quiet (non-drafty) place.
My mom had a bad case of it right before she was diagnosed with cancer. The doctor said it was the worst case he’d ever seen and said she could have lost her sight if she didn’t begin aggressive treatment. I wonder if the fact that she was already sick had something to do with how bad it was.
I had a bad case about 10 years ago - so bad that both my eyes were filled with yuck and swollen shut. The doctor didn’t say anything about permanent damage, but he gave me pain pills in addition to antibiotics - and that doctor never gave pain pills!
That’s a cite for sore eyes! 
I’ve had bacterial conjunctivitis three or four times in my life. The worst attack seemed to just laugh at the antibiotic eyedrops. Not funny. Lying in bed with eyes closed and practically being able to feel them filling up with eye-boogers is revolting.
If your immune system isn’t up to snuff (coming off illness, stress,etc), the germs that cause pink eye – and which are normally a non-issue for your body – can run amok, causing the outbreak.
You don’t want to hear my story of lying back in a chair to have my eyelids sliced open and the pus squeezed out with a screw press. Seriously.
I, on the other hand, have had four very mild cases that resolved almost as soon as the antibiotic ointment touched my eyes. It never hurt, my eyes just felt really watery.
Just my datapoint.
Hey, was that you in Un Chien Andalou? :eek: