How to Treat Conjunctivitis

If you wake up in the morning with red, swollen and itchy eyes, there's a good chance that you have conjunctivitis, also known as "pinkeye." Conjunctivitis is very common for both adults and children and occurs when the membrane covering the white part of the eye (conjunctiva) becomes inflamed and infected. The good news is that most cases of conjunctivitis are easy to treat.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Antibacterial hand soap
• 1 qt. boiled water (cooled)
• 1 tbsp. boric acid
• Clean washcloth
• Cotton balls
• Chamomile tea (optional)

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap before and after touching your eyes.
2. Wash your eyes three or four times a day with solution of one qt. boiled water and one tbsp. of boric acid. Cool the water before using. Use a clean washcloth or a cotton ball and rinse very carefully and gently.
3. Brew some chamomile tea. Just place a moist tea bag on each closed eye for about ten minutes and repeat every couple of hours. If you prefer, you can wash your eyes with the tea or soak a cotton ball in it and hold it gently against your eyes. Be sure that the tea is 100% natural chamomile with no chemical additives.
4. Discard any makeup that you were using when you contracted conjunctivitis. Using contaminated makeup will allow your conjunctivitis to reoccur and to spread from eye to eye.

Tips & Warnings

• If you wear contact lenses, remove them until the infection clears.
• Wear sunglasses if you go out in bright sunlight. Sunlight will irritate your infected eyes.
• Change your bed linens and pillowcases frequently to prevent conjunctivitis from reoccurring.
• You should consult a physician to confirm that you have pinkeye before you attempt to treat your condition yourself.
• Pinkeye is quite contagious. Don't share washcloths and towels.
• Your eyes may itch and burn, but resist the temptation to scratch and rub them.
• If your eyes aren't better within a few days, if the pain becomes worse or if the discharge increases, consult your physician.