Red, swollen and itchy eyes are symptoms of conjunctivitis. It is usually caused by unhealthy surroundings causing bacterial and viral infections in eyes.
Eyes usually pain a lot and may lead to pus formation which causes eyelashes to stick together during sleep.
The sufferer then has to splash either water or use eye drops to ease the condition. A better way would be to follow certain home based remedies in order to improve the condition.
Best Home Remedies For Conjunctivitis in Adults
Wash Eyes
The easiest, best and safest method is to splash cold water in eyes. Make sure to wash your hands first as dirty hands can add to the infection. If your eyes have caught infection just a few hours ago then washing eyes with clean water might be a great help. It may also revert back the problem. Using water washes away all the dirt and micro-organisms, keeping eyes clean and healthy. During conjunctivitis, it is important to keep eyes away from harmful agents. Do not touch your eyes and wear goggles to protect them against environment.
Milk And Honey
Honey is anti-bacterial which can be used to clean eyes of all the infection causing bacteria ans milk soothes the irritated eyes. Hence, it is a good idea to use a mixture of the two. Take warm milk and add equal amount of honey in it. Mix the two thoroughly.
Take a clean cloth or cotton ball and dip it in the mixture. Squeeze the cotton a little to get rid of excess liquid. Close your eyes, keep the cotton balls over eyelids and press lightly. Allow it to work for 5-10 minutes and repeat the procedure 2-3 times in a day. Don’t forget to wash your hands before following the procedure, cleanliness is very important in case of conjunctivitis.
Potato
Potato is a natural astringent and thus is useful for reducing swelling in eyes due to infection. An astringent is a chemical compound that works to shrink body tissues. Cut out slices of potato and place them over eyes. Allow the slices to work for atleast 15 minutes, after which they can be removed. Use the remedy every night for best results. You’ll notice a change within 3 days.
Tea Bags
Tannin present in tea is an astringent. It works just like potato to reduce inflammation in eyes. Tannin also has anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects which allow it to work against infection causing micro-organisms. Take two tea bags and dip them in boiling water for a minute or so.
Squeeze the bags a little to get rid of excess water and allow them to loose the heat. Once the tea bags are back to normal temperature, place them in fridge for 5-10 minutes. Now place these cold tea bags, one over each eye for 15 minutes. Tea would sooth your eyes, reduce inflammation and kill all those evil bacteria and virus.
Turmeric
Turmeric is an ages old cure to various diseases, it can also be used to curb conjunctivitis. It has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties which make it perfect to fight against the infection. Boil a cup of water, add two teaspoons of turmeric and mix properly.
Now, dip a cotton ball in the mixture and squeeze a little. Place the cotton over affected eye and allow it to work for 10 minutes. Repeat the procedure everyday for best results.
Castor Oil
Castor oil is anti-microbial and can be used to cure conjunctivitis. Wash your hands properly before working out with the oil. Take a drop of castor oil on your finger and apply it over the eyelids. If both the eyes are affected by the infection, then wash your finger after applying oil over the first eye. Then, again take a drop of oil and apply it over another eye.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a natural anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal agent. It is an inexpensive remedy to treat conjunctivitis. Just take a little amount of Aloe Vera juice in a bowl and dip clean cotton balls in it. Squeeze the cotton balls and place them over eyes for around 15 minutes.
Keeping eyes clean is a basic fundamental to improve the condition. You can try any of the above remedies to work against conjunctivitis. If you wish to use a cloth in place of cotton balls then make sure the cloth is soft and clean. In case you are doubtful about the cleanliness of cloth then better not to use it as micro-organisms trapped in the cloth can worsen the situation. A better idea would be to sterilize the piece of cloth. Sterilization is an easy process and removes all the harmful agents. All you need to do is, boil water in a pan and dip the cloth in it. Boiling water would kill all the micro-organisms by making condition unsuitable for their survival. After 4-5 minutes, take out the cloth and allow it to cool. It can then be used for compression over eyes.
Caution: Please use Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.
