How to tell if you have pink eye or a stye and treat your symptoms effectively How to tell if you have pink eye or a stye and treat your symptoms effectively Toketemu Ohwovoriole,Benjamin BertFeb 5, 2021, 03:17 IST Pink eye and styes are common eye conditions.Madrolly/Getty Images The difference between pink eye and a stye is that a stye will often be accompanied by a bump on your eye. But they both share common symptoms like itching, pain, redness, and swelling. A stye and viral pink eye will likely go away on their own, but bacterial pink eye may require an antibiotic.