Effective tips for conjunctivitis prevention (pink eye)

Have you ever experienced eye pain, blurred vision, watery eyes, severe dryness, and reddened eyes which made your daily routines difficult? Yes, such a condition only is known as a pink eye infection. Conjunctivitis or pink eye is a common eye problem affecting children and adults. Conjunctivitis is caused by multiple reasons and may take around 7-14 days to clear up. Contagious pink eye is caused due to viruses and bacteria whereas non-contagious one occurs due to allergens like pollen or irritants like dust and smoke. Hot weather conditions and humidity increase the chances of getting conjunctivitis (contagious or non-contagious). If not taken care of properly when initial symptoms arise, there are high chances of severe conjunctivitis. Also, treatment for allergic conjunctivitis differs from bacterial or viral conjunctivitis in terms of the eye drops prescribed.

Here are some simple for conjunctivitis prevention:

• Conjunctivitis disease should be handled with a lot of here. Do not touch or rub your eyes as doing so can worsen conjunctivitis symptoms and even spread to the other eye.
• Use different eye drop dispensers for the infected and non-infected eyes.
• Maintain good hygiene at home if other family members are dealing with pink eye. Regularly wash bed covers, towels, and pillowcases to prevent infection from spreading more. Make sure to use disinfectant for cleaning the house.
• Increase the intake of immunity-boosting foods like citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, carrots, gooseberry, etc. to enhance your body’s natural ability to fight any infection. Strong immunity also reduces the chances of catching the infection.
• Prefer to use disposable soft tissues to dab eyes rather than using a towel or a handkerchief. Remember to dispose of the used tissues so that no one else touches them.
• When you have to step out, wear sunglasses to keep your eyes covered. It will keep the eyes safe from coming in contact with irritants like dust, smoke, or wind pollen.
• The simplest yet most crucial tip is to check the expiry date of any product that you use for your eyes, be it makeup, eye drop, eye cream, or any other skincare product. Using expired products can trigger other infections as well.

What to do if someone around you has conjunctivitis?

You just need to be mindful of what you touch and follow simple hand hygiene practices if someone around you has bacterial or viral conjunctivitis. When around someone who has conjunctivitis, make sure that you are washing your hands frequently for a minimum of 20 seconds with warm water and soap. You can also keep an alcohol-based (60% alcohol or more) hand sanitizer to keep your hands clean.

How can you avoid catching conjunctivitis again?

The tips to prevent conjunctivitis from coming back are the same as mentioned above. Following good hygiene practices, taking good care of eyes and maintaining proper distance from someone who is suffering from pink eye. However, if you still contract the infection somehow, there is no alternative to medical treatment from an eye specialist. It is important to note that indulging in self-medication is not safe and can do more harm than benefit. So, if you suffer from conjunctivitis, go for a thorough to understand of the root cause and treat it effectively. Leaving the condition untreated may cause extreme discomfort and prolong the recovery period.

The Bottom Line

As discussed, pink eye is quite discomforting and causes inflammation in the eyes. Taking the abovementioned steps can keep your eyes safe and healthy to a great extent. However, if you want to consult an eye specialist for pink eye symptoms or any other eye condition, get in touch with the Centre for Sight. Our eye specialists and surgeons are well-trained in treating a wide range of eye diseases and disorders with advanced technology.