Health Tips - Take care of your eyes in monsoon

Take care of your eyes in monsoon:

Monsoon is the time for making a splash in the rain. But this is also the time when eye problems plague most people

Have you been waking up to itchy eyes? Does your eye look swollen or red? Watch out! You could be infected with conjunctivitis, eye stye, dry eyes or even corneal ulcer. Eye problems are very common during the rains. But no matter how aware you are, someone or the other around you will go pick it up and pass it on to you. Children in particular need to be taught proper hygiene, else they will spread the disease. So, here we come to your rescue.

Conjunctivitis concerns
First and foremost, keep your eyes clean. Wash them with cold water at least 3-4 times during the day. Splashing cold water helps wash away the germs. Never share personal items like towels, handkerchiefs with anyone. And never buy over-the-counter eye drops if you feel any irritation in your eyes. If, despite the precaution, you get infected, avoid wearing contact lenses. And skip the swimming sessions. They will aggravate the problem.

Clean and care
Wash your hands regularly and ensure those around you do the same. Conjunctivitis can be due to viral infection or it may be due to bacteria. You might need medicines prescribed by the doctor. It is a self-limiting disease and will go away if you take precaution. If you need to go out, wear dark glasses to help ease the pain from the sun's glare or bright lights. Make sure you wipe the glasses with a clean cloth to clear it of any germs, advise the doctors.

Dry cry
"Dry eyes cause irritation and loss of lubrication in the eye. This is a very irritating condition and in extreme cases the sufferer may even get blurred vision. Blinking the eye regularly helps the eye mucous formation. Though this problem is common through the year, during monsoon it gets worse when we rub our eyes with dirty hands. A soothing eye drop usually helps and blinking every few minutes and looking away from the book/computer/TV screen every few minutes is necessary," shares eye specialist Dr S Maity.

Eye stye!
This infection of a gland in the eyelids can really cause you pain. Styes are usually caused by rubbing the eyes with dirty hands. Or even by touching the eyes after having touched the nose because some of the bacteria found in the nose are known to cause a stye. The infection leads to swelling and pus. Hot compress will give you relief. The doctor might prescribe an ointment for quicker relief.

Allergy alert
Dust, pollen, medicines or cosmetics too can cause red and itchy eyes if they trigger an allergy. Monsoon is the season when the problem gets aggravated. The best thing to do is to avoid all eye makeup. Your kohl stick could be the culprit or maybe the mascara. So rest your eyes for a while.

Fear factor
Corneal ulcer is a severe form of eye infection. It results from bacterial or fungal infection. Contact lens users are most susceptible to it. Consult an ophthalmologist immediately as it affects the vision as well. In fact this might even result in total loss of vision and require a corneal transplant.

Eat it to beat it
"Just like the rest of the body, eating healthy food is vital to eye health as well. Having fruits in particular is highly recommended since they contain antioxidants beneficial for health," advises Dr Manik Gupta.