Eye-in

Rains come with their own set of eye ailments and conjunctivitis is trending this season. PRAGYA MITTAl talks to doctors to bring you some relief measures

Monsoons bring cloudy skies, rain and relief from searing temperatures. but this beautiful weather comes with big fallouts of rainy season epidemics. As we all fight the mosquito and its myriad viruses, there is also this building issue about eye ailments.

Many of them are knocking our doors, primary among them being the dreaded conjunctivitis.

“Conjunctivitis is the biggest eye ailment patients are reporting this season, followed by other common eye infections like the painful stye and corneal ulcers,” says Dr Minal Kaur, Opthalmologist, PSRI Multi–speciality Hospital, Sheikh Sarai, New Delhi.

The doctor adds that the moisture and contact with rain water are the main reasons behind monsoon time eye infections. So, if you are out in the rain, you should cover your eyes as rainwater may contain pollutants which are harmful for your eyes.

Dry Eyes, redness, itching and watering of eyes are the most common symptoms. Maintaining good eye and hands hygiene is key to preventing eye infections. Here are some common infections and ways to prevent them:

Conjunctivitis or Pink Eye

 The most common infection spreading this monsoon is conjunctivitis. Viral conjunctivitis and bacterial conjunctivitis are two types of infections and both are highly contagious. Symptoms include itching, water discharge, redness and swelling of the eyes. Dr Ranjana Mithal, Opthalmologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, and Dr Minal list some common precautions you can take to avoid it:

• Do not share personal belongings like towels, cosmetics, pillows etc.
• Do not rub your eyes frequently and try using hand sanitizer as often as possible.
• Do not wash your eyes vigorously and frequently. Wash them gently with cooled boiled water.
• Avoid wearing contact lenses when your eyes are itching.
• Wear glasses when you move out to avoid dust going into your eyes.
• Stay away from a person who has conjunctivitis. If you have someone in your house suffering from it, make sure you wash your hands regularly and don’t use anything that person is using.
• Avoid swimming during the monsoons as the pool water may contain pollutants which can be harmful for eyes.
• Prevent children from playing in dirty water and playgrounds as they get back home with germs.
• Though a conjunctivitis infection lasts for around 5-6 days, antibiotic eye drops can be given to treat the affliction.

Stye in the eye

“Stye occurs on the eyelid forming a painful lump on it. It generally spreads throughout the year. It occurs due to poor eyelid hygiene. If any oily material collect on the eyelid, the glands get blocked and no secretion is done due to which infection occurs,” explains Dr Saumil Kothari, Opthalmologist, Eye institute and Research Centre, Mumbai. He adds that a a stye can be cured by giving wet and warm compresses to open up the pores and release the swelling. Also, antibiotic drops and eye cream are prescribed for stye infection.

Corneal Ulcers

Corneal Ulcers are caused due to either bacteria or virus. It can also be caused due to an injury. “It is a wound on the cornea which is caused mostly due to poor hygiene. It can also occur due to low retention and poor nutrition. It’s a sight-threatening disease if not cured on time,” warns Dr Mithal. It throws up moderate to severe pain, watery eyes and sensitivity to light. It may also be associated with a yellowish-green sticky discharge and white lesions on the pupil of the eye. Immediate medication is needed if symptoms surface. A person suffering from corneal infection should avoid too much eye contact and rush to the doctor.

Dry Eyes

Even though dry eyes is more a gadgets-related ailment, it worsens during monsoons, especially if you rub your tired eyes after a prolonged session on a mobile phone and laptops. Dry eyes lead to discomfort, burning sensation, grittiness and even blurred vision. Use of eye drops can cure dryness as it lubricates the eyes.

EYE Allergies

When dust particles in the air enter your eyes, they cause allergies. Sometimes, bad quality cosmetics can also trigger allergies, more so in monsoons when the eyes are vulnerable as it is.

Use waterproof cosmetics on your eyes so that it does not enter into your eyes and damage its functioning. “Also, some people have specific food allergies which should be avoided during rainy season. A person should not eat spicy food while facing irritation or itchiness in the eyes. It may increase the allergy,” says Dr Kothari.

HOME REMEDIES

• Dried calendula flowers are magic to most eye inflammations. All you need to do is soak a tsp of dried calendula flowers in a cup of hot water and let them rest for half hour.
• After it cools, strain it through a muslin cloth. Wash your eye with this through the day.
• Also, use cold compress to deal with the itchiness and burning sensation.
• Put a cold moist eye wad on both the eyes and let it rest for 5 minutes. Do not use the same wad for both eyes or the infection may spread.
• Black tea soaked cotton pads are good for relief too.

Monsoons bring cloudy skies, rain and relief from searing temperatures. but this beautiful weather comes with big fallouts of rainy season epidemics. As we all fight the mosquito and its myriad viruses, there is also this building issue about eye ailments.

Many of them are knocking our doors, primary among them being the dreaded conjunctivitis.

“Conjunctivitis is the biggest eye ailment patients are reporting this season, followed by other common eye infections like the painful stye and corneal ulcers,” says Dr Minal Kaur, Opthalmologist, PSRI Multi–speciality Hospital, Sheikh Sarai, New Delhi.

The doctor adds that the moisture and contact with rain water are the main reasons behind monsoon time eye infections. So, if you are out in the rain, you should cover your eyes as rainwater may contain pollutants which are harmful for your eyes.

Dry Eyes, redness, itching and watering of eyes are the most common symptoms. Maintaining good eye and hands hygiene is key to preventing eye infections. Here are some common infections and ways to prevent them:

Conjunctivitis or Pink Eye

 The most common infection spreading this monsoon is conjunctivitis. Viral conjunctivitis and bacterial conjunctivitis are two types of infections and both are highly contagious. Symptoms include itching, water discharge, redness and swelling of the eyes. Dr Ranjana Mithal, Opthalmologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, and Dr Minal list some common precautions you can take to avoid it:

• Do not share personal belongings like towels, cosmetics, pillows etc.
• Do not rub your eyes frequently and try using hand sanitizer as often as possible.
• Do not wash your eyes vigorously and frequently. Wash them gently with cooled boiled water.
• Avoid wearing contact lenses when your eyes are itching.
• Wear glasses when you move out to avoid dust going into your eyes.
• Stay away from a person who has conjunctivitis. If you have someone in your house suffering from it, make sure you wash your hands regularly and don’t use anything that person is using.
• Avoid swimming during the monsoons as the pool water may contain pollutants which can be harmful for eyes.
• Prevent children from playing in dirty water and playgrounds as they get back home with germs.
• Though a conjunctivitis infection lasts for around 5-6 days, antibiotic eye drops can be given to treat the affliction.

Stye in the eye

“Stye occurs on the eyelid forming a painful lump on it. It generally spreads throughout the year. It occurs due to poor eyelid hygiene. If any oily material collect on the eyelid, the glands get blocked and no secretion is done due to which infection occurs,” explains Dr Saumil Kothari, Opthalmologist, Eye institute and Research Centre, Mumbai. He adds that a a stye can be cured by giving wet and warm compresses to open up the pores and release the swelling. Also, antibiotic drops and eye cream are prescribed for stye infection.

Corneal Ulcers

Corneal Ulcers are caused due to either bacteria or virus. It can also be caused due to an injury. “It is a wound on the cornea which is caused mostly due to poor hygiene. It can also occur due to low retention and poor nutrition. It’s a sight-threatening disease if not cured on time,” warns Dr Mithal. It throws up moderate to severe pain, watery eyes and sensitivity to light. It may also be associated with a yellowish-green sticky discharge and white lesions on the pupil of the eye. Immediate medication is needed if symptoms surface. A person suffering from corneal infection should avoid too much eye contact and rush to the doctor.

Dry Eyes

Even though dry eyes is more a gadgets-related ailment, it worsens during monsoons, especially if you rub your tired eyes after a prolonged session on a mobile phone and laptops. Dry eyes lead to discomfort, burning sensation, grittiness and even blurred vision. Use of eye drops can cure dryness as it lubricates the eyes.

EYE Allergies

When dust particles in the air enter your eyes, they cause allergies. Sometimes, bad quality cosmetics can also trigger allergies, more so in monsoons when the eyes are vulnerable as it is.

Use waterproof cosmetics on your eyes so that it does not enter into your eyes and damage its functioning. “Also, some people have specific food allergies which should be avoided during rainy season. A person should not eat spicy food while facing irritation or itchiness in the eyes. It may increase the allergy,” says Dr Kothari.

HOME REMEDIES

• Dried calendula flowers are magic to most eye inflammations. All you need to do is soak a tsp of dried calendula flowers in a cup of hot water and let them rest for half hour.
• After it cools, strain it through a muslin cloth. Wash your eye with this through the day.
• Also, use cold compress to deal with the itchiness and burning sensation.
• Put a cold moist eye wad on both the eyes and let it rest for 5 minutes. Do not use the same wad for both eyes or the infection may spread.
• Black tea soaked cotton pads are good for relief too.