Eye Health- Sore Eyes
Do you experience having eye redness and occasional itching? Do your eyes feel watery and sticky? If you do, then you may be having sore eyes. Read along to know more about eye health and sore eyes and what to do to treat it.
There are a lot of factors in our everyday lifestyle and our surroundings that can cause irritation to our eyes, making them sore and very uncomfortable to bear with.
Some cases are just minor eye irritations which do not need any treatment because it simply passes away after a few hours or even minutes. But there is a case of eye irritation that may be caused by the manifestation of bacteria or virus in the eyes, this is called conjunctivitis.
Conjunctivitis is usually caused by viral or bacterial infection or a symptom of allergies or other diseases like hay fever. What happens here is that the clear covering of the white part of the eye gets inflamed, making them sore and a bit heavier.
This is a very distressing experience but it is not life-threatening or serious.
Bacterial Conjunctivitis
When the conjunctivitis is caused by bacterial infection, the eyes produce a discharge of tears that is often accompanied with sticky pus. This makes it hard for the sufferer to open their eyes in the morning because the pus bonds together into a glue-like substance that hinders the eyelids from opening.
Viral Conjunctivitis
On the other hand, viral infections are very similar to bacterial conjunctivitis but produce less pus from the eyes. Viral conjunctivitis may also be more painful and highly contagious as it can easily spread from one person to another via physical contact or contact with the person’s belongings. A person with viral conjunctivitis may also posses a very red eye color due to the infection.
Treatment of Conjunctivitis
One of the most popular and effective ways to soothe conjunctivitis is to regularly bathe and wash your eyes with mildly warm salt-water solution. This is to remove the discharges and the debris that has accumulated in the eye. This also serves as a way to wash away the bacteria or virus in your eyes.
There are also over-the-counter eye drops in which you could use to hasten the recovery of your sore-eyes. These medications usually function by simply stimulating your tear glands to produce tears so that the eyes can use its own mechanism to remove the unwanted things from your eyes. Some solutions have a special ingredient that soothes your eyes, making you feel more comfortable.
When to call your doctor
Conjunctivitis can usually be managed at home. But if you feel that nothing seems to work, with an occurrence of intense pain or if you suspect that you may have a different kind of illness, you should contact your doctor.
Conjunctivitis can be prevented by proper hygiene, a proper diet to boost your immune system and avoiding contact with people who have them.
Conjunctivitis is not much of an eye health problem but it can really hinder you from doing your daily activities.
