Top 6 Natural Home Remedies For Pink Eye
Conjunctiva is a tissue that covers the inner eyelid of your eye. It is thin and transparent. Sometimes it gets inflamed or swelled, which causes conjunctivitis.
Children are more prone to get it as compared to adults. It is contagious and patients must avoid public places.
It is also called a pink eye and is classified as minor eye infection, posing no harm to your vision. It occurs in one or both eyes.
Symptoms
- Itchiness and burning sensation on the impacted eye
- Discharge of excess tears
- Sensitivity to the light increases
- The white part of the eye changes its color to pink
Causes
Conjunctivitis is caused due to viral or bacterial infections, allergens causing allergic reactions, due to irritants present in the air, water, chemicals, and sometimes due to exposure to harmful chemicals.
Conjunctivitis is classified as per its different causes. Let’s discuss them.
Conjunctivitis caused due to allergic reactions
- Allergic Conjunctivitis: Seasonal allergies in young children often causes it. When eyes come in contact with specific allergens, allergic reactions happen in the eye.
- Giant papillary Conjunctivitis: It is another type of allergic conjunctivitis that is caused due to the long term presence of foreign bodies. People wearing contact lenses are more prone to this type of conjunctivitis.
Conjunctivitis Due To Infections
- Bacterial Conjunctivitis: Staphylococcal or streptococcal bacteria are mainly responsible for it. These bacterias are present in your skin and respiratory system. It can also be caused due to bacterias of other persons transferred via physical contact or by air. Poor hygiene, coming in contact with the contaminated objects or part of your body, also poses the risk of developing it.
- Viral Conjunctivitis: Virus that causes the common cold is often responsible. Exposure to coughing and sneezing of other persons and mucous of your own body are the ways in which virus gets into your eye.
- Ophthalmia Neonatorum: Happens to newborn babies. It is a type of bacterial conjunctivitis that poses serious harm to the infant’s eye. It is mainly caused due to chlamydia or gonorrhea diseases, a type of sexually transmitted infections, which the infant get exposed to while passing through the birth canal of the infected person.
Conjunctivitis Due To irritants
Chemical conjunctivitis: It is generally caused due to the irritants present in the polluted air, in water that you use, and in harmful chemicals.
Home Remedies To Cure Conjunctivitis
One needs to cure the pink eye as soon as possible to avoid the discomfort and hurdles in their day to day life.
There are certain natural remedies to cure pink eye in your home itself. Let’s go through them.
1. Saltwater
Saltwater is very much beneficial for conjunctivitis. Take one cup of water at normal temperature and add a little amount of salt in it. Take a cotton swab and soak it into this water. Putting it on the eye kills infection and cures conjunctivitis.
2. Cumin Seeds
Cumin seeds are beneficial in eye diseases. Take one teaspoon of honey and add one teaspoon cumin powder in it. Mix them well. Taking it once a day cures conjunctivitis quickly.
3. Buttermilk
Take buttermilk in a cup and dip a cotton swab in it. Put it on your infected eyes. Repeated use makes the cotton dry. It helps in curing conjunctivitis soon.
4. Cold Compress
Cold compresses help in reducing the inflammation and pain in the eye that is caused by conjunctivitis.
Soak a clean cloth in the cold water. Make sure you get rid of excess water in the cloth.
Place the cloth in your eyes for some minutes. Remove it and then wash your hands. Make sure you clean the used cloth with hot water as it helps in reducing the risk of getting the infection again when you reuse it.
5. Warm Cleaning
In the case of bacterial conjunctivitis, thick pus discharge takes place in your eye. It dries quickly at your eyelids and hardens over a certain course of time.
People with this condition generally find it difficult to open their eyes in the early morning. In this case, soak a clean cloth in warm water to clear off the hardened pus.
6. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar for the pink eye is considered to be the most efficient treatment.
Take a cup of water that is lukewarm or at room temperature and add apple cider vinegar to it. Apply this mix in closed eyes or pour some drops of it directly to the eye twice a day.
This helps in getting rid of pink eyes within 3 to 4 days of application.
But before using it, you should consult your doctor first.
Which Cases Are Medical Emergencies?
Some situations require you to make an appointment with your doctor. Such cases are as follows:
- People who regularly have eye infections or have a family history of it.
- If infants or newborn babies are suffering from it.
- Symptoms don’t go away after one week
- Fever accompanied by body aches
- Impaired vision
- Light sensitivity
Some Measures You Need To Take
Generally, the bacteria and viruses that cause this disease are contagious. So one must avoid visiting public places to avoid others to get it.
You need to maintain proper hygiene while suffering as well as after curing it. Some hygiene measures are as follows:
- Regularly wash your hands
- Avoid rubbing your eyes
- Avoid any hand contact with your eyes
- Change your pillow covers and bed sheets more often
- Avoid using contact lenses
Author Bio:
Jennifer is a wellness lifestyle writer. She loves sharing her thoughts and personal experiences related to natural remedies, Ayurvedic, yoga and fitness through her writing. She currently writes for How To Cure.
She can connect with others experiencing health concerns and help them through their recovery journeys through natural remedies.