In this article, we will discuss about pink eye and ways to treat pink eye. Pink Eye or Conjunctivitis is a well-known contagious disease. At some point of life we all have suffered from it. Basically in this disease Conjunctiva gets swollen up with fluid coming out of it. Conjunctiva is a thin membrane over the outermost layer of eye and inner surface of eyelids.
A person suffering from pink eye can easily be identified with the redness of eye and discharge. School going children, college students and others, who sit at a very close distance from their peers, are at higher risk for contagious types of pink eye. Diagnosing the correct type of pink eye is very much important to proceed towards its right cure. It usually starts with one eye but can easily be spread to the other eye in case of bacterial and viral infection. In this article we are discussing different ways to get rid of pink eye.
Let’s find out what are common causes of pink eye.
Causes of Pink Eye:
Pink eye is mainly caused due to bacterial, viral and allergic infection. If diagnosed early, it can be treated very easily.
1.) Some of the bacteria which causes pink eye are- pyogenic bacteria, staphylococci, streptococci, moraxella, gonococci, chlamydia, etc. These bacteria lead to the production of membrane/pseudo membrane, over conjunctiva, which has inflammatory cells in it.
2.) Pink eye causing viruses are- herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster, etc.
3.) Some allergens which cause pink eye are- dust, animal dander, seasonal pollens, smoke, smog, industrial pollutants, sprays, household cleaners, etc.
Symptoms of Pink eye:
Now we can move towards getting familiar with the common symptoms of pink eye. You might have noticed your classmates or colleagues wearing black goggles inside the room. What disease do you think they are suffering from? Is this pink eye?
1.) In case of bacterial infection, there is a moderate or huge amount of yellow-green fluid comes out from eyes. It is very sticky and eyes can stuck up once you wake up from sleep. Swelling of upper eyelid with redness and pain is observed. There is an increase in the size of lymph nodes below ears. Both eyes can be affected and it is highly contagious. It can easily be spread among children.
2.) In case of viral infection, eyes become watery and itchy. You tend to feel nasal congestion and sensitivity to light. It is very contagious and can be spread through coughing and sneezing. No yellow or green discharge is observed. Viral pink eye remains contagious for around 10-15 days from the onset of symptoms. It can be contracted from one person to another through the air or direct contact. One or both eyes can be affected.
3.) In case of allergic infection eyes become itchy and watery, along with a burning sensation. It is followed by runny nose, puffiness and sensitivity to light. Both eyes can be affected. It is not contagious.
Home Remedies to Treat Pink Eye:
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There are some home remedies to treat pink eye. Without any side-effects you can treat pink eye using these simple products that are right in your kitchen.
1.) Potato to Treat Pink Eye
Potato has got some astringent property in it so it can help in reducing inflammation, so it is good to treat pink eye with potato. Apply grated potato on the infected eye. Keep it there for around 10-12 minutes.
2.) Honey and Milk to Treat Pink Eye
Honey and milk mixture can do wonder in healing up your pink eye. Take equal amount of warm milk and honey. Stir together till you get a smooth mixture. Put it into a sterilized dropper. Pour 2-3 drops at a time. In a day or two better results would come out.
3.) Barberry Plant to Treat Pink Eye
Due to the presence of powerful ingredient like berberine, this plant can be used to treat pink eye. Boil it in water. Let it cool down. Your eyewash is ready. Rinse your eyes with this water. It will fasten up the recovery rate.
4.) Boric Acid to Treat Pink Eye
Boric acid has anti-fungal, antiseptic and cleansing properties so we can use it to treat pink eye. For eyewash use boric acid mixed water. Add 1 tablespoon of boric acid to 1 liter water and boil it. Let it cool down. Rinse your eyes with it and see the difference.
5.) Black and Green Tea to Treat Pink Eye
Bioflavonoids found in black and green tea helps in fighting viral and bacterial infections. It helps in reduction of inflammation as well. Put moist tea bags on your eyes for some minutes 3-5 times a day. Black tea is more useful as it contains tannins which can reduce inflammation quickly.
6.) Silver Nitrate to treat Pink Eye
It has been found that silver has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Weak solution (5-10 ppm) of silver nitrate mixed with same amount of saline water can be put into the affected eye. Use this 2-3 times a day. It can prove very much beneficial in the healing process.
Other remedies may include eating loads of fruits and vegetables which are a good source of vitamin A. Vitamin A is must for optimal eye health. You can take cod liver oil supplements as well for healthy eye.
Other Ways to Treat Pink Eye:
As far as treatment of pink eye is concerned, one has to take consultation of doctor as soon as possible. If diagnosed at early stages, pink eye can be treated with much ease and you will be less troubled by its symptoms. This is the time to look into the treatment part.
1.) Bacterial Conjunctivitis Treatment
This type of pink eye often gets cured up without treatment. But if no improvement is observed you should take antibiotics and eye-drops recommended by physician. Some ointments are also available for its cure. You should not ignore the symptoms in any case because some bacterial infections damage eye cornea which affects vision.
2.) Viral Conjunctivitis Treatment
It does not require any specific treatment. Like common cold, it sustains for a longer period and after that eye starts healing up. You can take antihistamines to reduce the symptoms. As a home remedy one can put wet wash-cloth on their eyes several times a day, it soothes eye irritation. But make sure you are not sharing this wash-cloth with anyone otherwise he/she might get infected.
3.) Allergic Conjunctivitis Treatment
It is quite infectious. For curing this type of pink eye anti-inflammatory pills, eye-drops, antihistamines, etc. is required. If it’s not so severe you can just pour water over your face while facing downwards, it is going to give enough relief to your eye. Wet wash-cloths can also be wiped over your eyes. Only thing to take care is that you need to use different wash-cloths for each eye.
Preventive measures to follow:
As we all know prevention is better than cure. So let’s have a look at some preventive measures one should follow to keep pink eye at bay. Some preventive measures are discussed here are for the affected person.
1.) Avoid direct contact of your infected hands to the eyes.
2.) Keep washing your hands on regular basis.
3.) Maintain personal hygiene.
4.) Avoid sharing eye-liner, mascara, towels, handkerchiefs, pillows, etc. with the affected person.
5.) Take good care of your contact lenses.
6.) If someone has pink eye in your home, then it is better to keep your hands sanitized with hand-wash or sanitizer. Do not share plate with them.
7.) Avoid using medications prescribed to someone else because it may be infected or could prove inappropriate for your condition. Moreover, old pills should be discarded on regular basis as it loses its effectiveness with time.
8.) While putting eye drops into your eyes, be sure to follow the right procedure and lay down in the correct posture.
9.) Putting eye make-up and cosmetic creams near affected eye area should be avoided.
10.) Sanitize surfaces like door knobs, table tops, TV remote, etc. on timely basis.
11.) In case you have allergic conjunctivitis then keep yourself at a distance from those allergens otherwise it may worsen the situation.
You can also read the article how to cure pink eye and treatment for pink eye on our website.