BENGALURU: The chill in the air and the sight of falling leaves might be pleasant this season. But watch out, for eye infections that are likely to shoot up in the coming days.
City-based ophthalmologists have witnessed early cases and warn people not to ignore symptoms such as redness, itchiness, abnormal tearing or a discharge that form a crust during the night and prevents the eye from opening in the morning. They could indicate conjunctivitis.
“The disease can cause inflammation in the cornea. This can affect vision if neglected,” says Dr Anand Subramaniam, Consultant, Cataract Cornea and Refractive Services, Sankara Eye Hospital.
The hospital gets at least five such cases a day, most of them being children.
When caused by a bacterial or viral infection, the condition is known as infective conjunctivitis. It can also be a result of an allergic reaction due to pollen, dust mites, chlorinated water or shampoo, or even due to a loose eyelash rubbing against the eye.
“The cases at present are mostly viral infections due to the change in weather. Allergic reactions are caused due to the pollen in air,” adds Dr Subramaniam.
See a Doctor
Dr Bhujanga Shetty, Director, Narayana Netralaya, says conjunctivitis is highly contagious and can affect a person for as long as two weeks after the symptoms begin to show.
“If you wear contact lenses, stop using them as soon as you notice symptoms. If your eyes don’t get better within a day, make an appointment with your eye doctor.”
This condition is highly contagious and spreads through direct or indirect contact with the eye secretions of the infected. While both adults and children can develop infective and allergic conjunctivitis, bacterial conjunctivitis is more common among children,” says Dr Shetty.
The infected should be quarantined to prevent infecting others, he adds.
Maintaining personal hygiene can help prevent conjunctivitis.
Wash your hands frequently and don’t share towels to lessen the chance of infecting others.
Apply warm or cold compresses to your eyes for a few minutes several times a day. This will ease your discomfort until you see your doctor.
Taking an antibiotic may speed up the healing process. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotic eye drops or ointment. The ointment may blur your vision for few minutes minutes after application.
Lifestyle and home remedies
If conjunctivitis affects only one eye, don’t touch both eyes with the same cloth. This reduces the risk of spreading the infection to the healthy eye.
Use eye drops. Over-the-counter medication called artificial tears may relieve symptoms. Some eye drops contain antihistamines that can help people with allergic conjunctivitis.
Ask your doctor if you should throw away your disposable contacts, cleaning solution or lens case. If your lenses aren’t disposable, clean them thoroughly before using them again.
Avoid whatever you think might be causing your symptoms, especially if you have allergic conjunctivitis. Wash your clothes frequently. Take a shower before bed time.
Prevention:
Don’t share eye cosmetics or personal eye care items
Use antibiotics for the complete period prescribed Pink eye symptoms may resolve in three to seven days. Children with viral conjunctivitis may be contagious for a week or more. They may return to school when the redness and discharge in their eyes subsides.
If your child has bacterial conjunctivitis, keep him or her away from school until after treatment is started.
Conjunctivitis in Newborns
Newborns’ eyes are vulnerable to the bacteria present in the mother’s birth canal. These bacteria cause no symptoms in the mother but can, in rare cases, cause infants to develop a serious form of conjunctivitis known as ophthalmia neonatorum. This condition needs treatment without delay to preserve sight. An antibiotic ointment is applied to every newborn’s eyes to prevent eye infection.