Eye infections are a common phenomenon, as eyes are very sensitive to germs, dust, sunlight, etc. Let’s look at some useful eye infection home remedies to cure an infection, if any.
Eyes are the windows to our souls. So true; hence we need to protect our eyes from damage, lest our soul loses its view. Jokes apart, there are a few infections that are very common, and a bit of eye care can help cure them; therefore, this article is dedicated to just that.
Even before we start treating an eye infection at home, it is vital to figure out if the infection caused is of bacterial, viral or fungal origin. Moreover, some allergies cause eye problems that resemble eye infections. Several eye infections can be safely addressed at home without being a cause of concern (leading to adverse effects); nevertheless, the recovery period may last for about five days.
With this knowledge in hand, let’s dig in for the common symptoms, along with what can be the methods employed to cure an eye infection at home.
» Redness of the eyes: The whites of the eyes will get red, not bloodshot, but relatively red.
» Yellow or Green discharge: For some infections, there is a yellow or green-colored discharge from the eye.
» Irritation: There will be a general irritation in the eye. It could be itching or obstruction.
» Pain: Some infections cause pain in the eye.
» Blurred Vision: The vision gets blurred during some eye infections.
» Watery eyes: Due to certain infections, the eyes become extremely watery.
» Swelling of the eye: Some infections cause the eyes to swell.
» Photophobia: Certain infections make the eyes extremely sensitive to light.
» Chronic Itching: Some eye infections cause constant itching in the eye.
In case, the infection in your eye is a stye, you can get rid of it by using hot compress on the swollen lump with the help of a hot cloth.
You can also treat a stye by using a tea bag soaked in warm water. Place the tea bag on the stye and leave it there for some time. This can make the stye shrink to about half its size, due to the tannic acid in the tea. Put a tea bag on the stye even after it has dried.
In case, you have repeated occurrences of stye, you can use guava leaves. Warm them and keep them in a damp cloth. Then use the damp cloth to compress and reduce the swelling.
Until the stye swelling subsides, you can make eye drops by mixing one teaspoon of turmeric powder in 2 cups of water. Put these drops in your eyes 3 times a day, till the swelling comes down.
In case of other infections, you can take 2 cups of water and boil some acacia leaves in it for 5 minutes. This solution can be used as a warm compress on the eyelids, at least for 4-5 minutes.
You can make a natural eye wash for the eyes. Boil a teaspoon of coriander seeds in 1 cup of water and use it to wash your eyes. It is very effective to treat styes and can also gently cleanse your eyes.
You can use aloe vera on the eyes to treat eye infections. Aloe vera has many medical qualities. Honey has similar qualities. Applying honey on the eyes, can help heal eye infections too.
In case of pink eye or conjunctivitis, you can make a warm compress of chamomile, lavender or rose oil. It is really good to reduce the irritation and the pain.
Cold bread is a great remedy for itching and inflammation. You don’t need to eat it, you just need to keep it on the eye.
For conjunctivitis, fill a glass jar with distilled water and in that, add 7-8 jasmine flowers and leave it overnight, covered. Next day, pour the drops of the liquid in the eye with jasmine flower. You need to do this till your eyes get soaked, completely. Doing this thrice a day will have best effects.
» Keep your hands clean before you use any eye treatment, as dirty hands can exacerbate an already existing infection.
» Avoid the urge to touch or rub your eyes even though it may itch or burn.
» It is always good to cleanse your infected eyes with warm distilled water for about two minutes. Wipe your eyes dry with a clean cotton swab. However, make sure you do not use the same swab for both your eyes, as there is a risk that infection might spread to the uninfected eye.
» Cold water compress or employing ice cubes in a clean white cloth are also good alternatives to soothe an eye infection.
» Use medicated eye drops only if recommended by your doctor.
» Strictly avoid makeup, prolonged watching of TV or working on your computer during an eye infection.
The home remedies listed above could take time to show the required results. However, one needs to practice caution while using them. Make sure, you don’t use ingredients that you are allergic to. It could lead to more infection.
