Bacterial eye infections: Bacterial eye infection occurs when harmful bacteria invade any part of the eye, such as the eyeball, conjunctiva, or cornea. Symptoms of an infection include red eye, pain, discharge, watery/dry eyes, swelling, itching, and sensitivity to light. The common bacterial eye infections are conjunctivitis, stye, and keratitis. Conjunctivitis (pink eye) is the infection/inflammation of the conjunctiva (white part of the eye) and the inner eyelid. A stye is a bump on the eyelid or base of eyelashes. Keratitis is the inflammation of the cornea. It is a common problem in people who wear contact lenses.