Management of Conjunctivitis in monsoons

With monsoons and rains, the woes of eye care creeps in. With the arrival of rainy season, problems related with health and hygiene becomes common. Problems related with eye, sore eye and conjunctivitis becomes rampant.

Conjunctivitis is also known as red eye or pink eye. Doctors opine that, it is widespread and contagious in the rains, due to wet atmosphere. The wet atmosphere becomes excellent breeding grounds for micro organisms and hence, the infections spread at a faster rate.

It is a common myth, among the people that, by seeing a person suffering from conjunctivitis, one can easily get transmitted with eye infection. However, ophthalmologists complete dismiss, this myth and identify it completely false. According to the doctors, the infection is not air borne; in fact it happens with the direct contact with the person or when the cloth or same handkerchief or towel is used, then transmission becomes easy.

Symptoms:-
Conjunctivitis can be viral or bacterial. However, the symptoms appear more or less similar. Swollen eye, redness or pink eye, watery discharge, sticky, gooey eyelids and feeling of presence of some foreign matter or particle, are some of the associated symptoms. In extreme cases, white spots can be seen in the eye and negligence, may even affect the cornea.

Some do’s and don’ts for people suffering from conjunctivitis are:-

• Conjunctivitis can be either bacterial or viral.
• The treatments and eye drops may vary depending upon the condition. Hence, it is always advisable to seek medical help, rather than self medication.
• Wash the eyes frequently with cold water.
• Always wash your hands with soap water after eyewash or medicinal application.
• Make use of clean handkerchief or clean tissues to mop the flowing eye.
• People, who use lenses, should discontinue it for a while, till the infection gets fully cured.
• Sometimes, it happens that the infection may have been transmitted, while using the contact lens then; in such cases, never ever use the infected lens again. Instead, get a new pairs of lens for your eyes.

In case of severely affected eyes, it is advisable to skip school or offices. You may leave the other people affected with conjunctivitis. They get easily transmitted by touching the same files, books, keyboards or while doing hand shakes etc.

“Prevention is better than Cure.” People should not share same, kerchief, towel or bed with the person suffering from eye infection. Even Touching can transmit the infection. So, preventative measures and personal hygiene is very important during eye infection.