Conjunctivitis and Its Best Home Remedies

Conjunctivitis, otherwise known as pink eye, can either be caused by an infection - where there will be a greenish discharge or crusting of the eyelids in the morning, or by an allergy - most usually hay fever when itching is a prominent symptom, or by an irritant such as chillies.

• Infective Conjunctivitis

Standard treatment for infective conjunctivitis is an antibiotic cream or eye-drops, but many cases will clear with simple hygienic measures.

Warm water compresses: Dip a flannel in warm water and apply it to the eye three or four times a day for ten minutes. In addition, a cotton-wool bud dipped in a bowl of warm water with a couple of drops of baby shampoo can be used to clear away the crusts from the eyelids.

Apple juice: Apple juice is recommended for blepharitis-infection of the eyelids-which may be asso­ciated with conjunctivitis or come on its own accord. Peel off a two inch slice of apple, bend in half with the skin sides together till the juice appears, then press on the eye lids gently. The redness goes and so does the pus - not completely but it is kept in check if done several times a day. This is one of my best home remedies for conjunctivitis.

Urine: Urine may seem an unlikely home remedy for conjunctivitis, but urine eye-drops are a particu­larly appropriate way of making use of its anti-infective properties.

• Allergic Conjunctivitis

The best treatment is undoubtedly the anti-­allergic compounds Opticrom or Predsol, but warm water compresses as described for infective con­junctivitis can help relieve the symptoms of grittiness and itchiness.

• Irritative Conjunctivitis

Inadvertently rubbing the eye after having han­dled a chilli can cause intense pain and copious tears. Dr Richard Roberts, a genetic specialist in Texas and self-confessed chilli addict, describes the following interesting remedy: 'I once experi­enced the symptoms when in the company of several Mexican friends who urged me to put hair in the affected eye immediately. Though incredulous I grabbed for my wife's hair-his own was too short for the purpose - and the pain and tears cleared immediately. I cannot explain this effect.

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