Red eyes can be treated at home. We present you these home remedies against conjunctivitis, approved by ophthalmologists.
It sounds more complex than it is, but conjunctivitis is the famous “red eye”, a condition that can occur at any time and, although it is very annoying, conjunctivitis can be treated with home remedies.
Red eye, or “pink eye”, occurs when the white part of the eye becomes red or pink, in addition to inflammation in that area.
We are all subject to conjunctivitis. That’s why there are many treatments available in pharmacies in the form of drops. And while they are a great option, there are also home remedies for pink eye.
What Causes Conjunctivitis?
The main reasons why this condition appears in the eyes go far beyond contact lenses and are actually more due to exposure to viruses, bacteria or allergens.
However, exposure to chemicals, foreign bodies inside the eye, air pollution or even fungi, amoebas or parasites can cause this terrible irritation.
Other symptoms that may appear are:
- Inflammation of the conjunctiva or eyelid
- An increased amount of tears
- Crusts on the eyelids or eyelashes when you wake up
- Feeling of having something inside the eye
- Itching, irritation or burning
- Secretions such as pus or mucus (run to the doctor!)
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, most conjunctivitis goes away in one to two weeks. First, if you want to heal quickly, you’ll need to stop using contact lenses and go back to wearing rimmed glasses and no makeup.
In either case, you’ll need to throw away any old contact lenses or makeup that may have been contaminated if you want to get your eyes back to being bright and healthy.
What Are the Home Remedies for Conjunctivitis?
To begin with, you will be able to identify if it is viral conjunctivitis because it does not produce as much mucus or pus as bacterial or allergic conjunctivitis and also because it disappears in one or two weeks without treatment. Bacterial conjunctivitis, on the other hand, requires a prescription for an antibiotic from a physician for treatment.
Whether it is viral or bacterial, you can try the following home remedies to treat conjunctivitis:
- Place a warm, damp cloth over the eyes for a few minutes. Leave it on until it cools and repeat as many times as you like during the day.
- If conjunctivitis affects both eyes, you should use different cloths for each one and if the eyelids are stuck, use the wet compress or towel to soften the dried mucus so you can open your eyes.
If conjunctivitis occurs because of an allergy:
- Take allergy medicine.
- Avoid contact with the agent that causes the allergy, otherwise it will not go away.
- Put a warm or hot compress on your eyes.
- Use drops to treat conjunctivitis.
- Wash your clothes and pillowcases constantly or take a bath before going to bed.
- If you are itchy, instead of using hot water compresses, use warm or room temperature water.
Home Remedies to Avoid When Having Conjunctivitis
Just like in the ears, you should never put anything in your eyes that an expert doesn’t tell you to. And yes, that includes many home remedies for conjunctivitis.
In the networks, it is very common to find very absurd home remedies for conjunctivitis. For example, the use of breast milk to treat red eye, because it has antibodies that can be beneficial.
There is no scientific evidence to support this in adults and, on the contrary, it can worsen the symptoms you have or cause other types of infections since it can introduce other bacteria.
Another home remedy for conjunctivitis (very popular on the web, as absurd as it sounds) is the use of urine. Don’t even think about trying it! With so many options to treat red eyes, why should we use urine?
Finally, the most important thing: avoid touching your eyes. Many of the bacteria or viruses that cause conjunctivitis can be very contagious. This is why symptoms can be made worse.
We hope these conjunctivitis home remedies will help you reduce the discomfort and get better as soon as possible. Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below.
