How to Treat Pink Eye?

In this article, we have listed best remedies to treat pink eye. The thin, filmy membrane that covers the white part of your eye and eyelids. Usually, this condition is called “pink eye or conjunctivitis.” The main causes of conjunctivitis are: viral, bacterial, and allergic. Bacterial conjunctivitis is a highly infectious form of pink eye caused by bacterial infections. This type of conjunctivitis normally causes a red eye with a lot of discharge.

Primary Types of Conjunctivitis are:

Viral Conjunctivitis: This is caused by a virus like the cold. This type of pink eye is very infectious but usually, will  cure up on its own within a few days without medical treatment.

Bacterial Conjunctivitis: This form of pink eye is caused by bacteria, this can cause serious damage to the eye if left untreated.

Allergic Conjunctivitis: Allergic conjunctivitis is caused by eye irritants such as dust and animal dander among susceptible individuals. Allergic conjunctivitis may be pollen or flare up year-round.

How Do You Get Pink Eyes?

Bacterial and viral conjunctivitis can be quite infectious. The very common ways to get the infectious form of pink eye include:

• Usually through hand-to-eye contact with an infected person.
• The outspread of the infection from bacteria living in the person’s nose/sinus.
• Wearing dirty contact lenses.

Symptoms of Viral Conjunctivitis

• The primary symptom is an eye that has a pink appearance.
• Watery and itchy eyes.
• Sensitivity toward the light.
• Both eyes can be affected.
• Highly infective.
• It can be spread by coughing and sneezing.
• Symptoms of Bacterial conjunctivitis.
• A sticky, yellow or greenish-yellow eye pus in the corner of the eye.
• In few cases, this pus can be bad enough to cause the eyelids to be stuck together at the time you wake up.
• Both eyes can be affected. It is contagious in direct contact with infected hands.

Symptoms of Allergic conjunctivitis

• Watery, itchy, and burning eyes.
• Often accompanied by stuffy and a runny nose. Both eyes are affected, but not contagious.

Tips to Treat Pink Eyes

1. Tea Bag to Treat Pink Eye

Don’t throw used tea bags as they are very useful to enhance your beauty as well as to cure your pink eye. Tea contains the most tannin which is able to cure the infection and reduces the swelling.

Uses:

• Make a cup of tea with a tea bag and let it steep and cool in the cup.
• Place the tea bag on your eye slightly compressed for 10-20 minute or so.
• Then wash your eye with cool tea. To this repeatedly whole day.

2. Lemon, Saltwater, Cold Compress

Dealing with pink eye. Wash your eyes out with a salt water and lemon mix. Boil one and half cups of water, add a tsp of salt and a couple of drops of lemon juice. Pink eye is already very painful, so you  don’t want more pain. So gently wash your eyes out with the solution and follow up with an ice cold compress for not more than 10 minutes. Repeat as much as needed.

3. Ice Helps A Lot in Pink Eye

There is nothing better than ice to treat pink eyes. All you have to do is take a tissue or wipe and put an ice cube in it. Let the ice melt and put it on your ice. Do this repeatedly for fast relief.

4. Use Honey to Treat Pink Eye

The application of honey notably reduces the number of bacteria found around the eye that suffer from dry eyes. Honey is effective and rapidly clear wound infection with minimal adverse effects. It also promotes healing with minimal scar formation. Honey also has an antimicrobial action against a broad spectrum of bacteria and fungi.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 teaspoon raw honey
• 1/4 cup distilled or reverse osmosis water.
• Pinch of sea salt (optional – this is what I use)

Uses:

• Melt raw honey and salt in warm water. Don’t get the water too hot or it may change some of the beneficial properties of the water.
• Use a clean dropper, place 1-2 drops in each eye every few hours as required.

5. Treat Pink Eye with Breast Milk

Breast milk reduces the risks of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Breast milk is the suitable solution to treat and cure eye infections such as Pink Eye. It can prevent the bacteria from attaching to the mucosal surface of the eye and helping to end the eye infection. All you need to do is to put the milk into the infected eyes.

Uses:

Using a clean spoon, place a few drops onto the surface of the eye. Lift your eyelid slightly to help the breast milk circulate underneath. Apply this milk three times a day for a couple of days, or until the eye infection has cleared. If your symptoms continue or worsen, though, go for medical advice.

6. Soft Contact Lens Cleaner

Use boric acid based soft contact lens cleaner. These cleaners are the gentle antibacterial agent that’s the reason soft contact lens cleaner is the one of the best treatment for almost any eye infection in both humans and animals. Not only is it a cheaper and easiest alternative to expensive prescription eye drops, but it works 3x faster and better every time to treat pink eye.

Uses:

• Soft contact lens cleaner.
• One dropper
• Put two drops of the solution in the infected eye.

7. Treat Pink Eye with Potato

Potato works as an astringent and works effectively to treat pink eye. It also helps to soothe discomfort and reduce the puffiness associated with connectivity.

Uses:

• Cut slices of raw potato and put it on the infected eye at least for 20 minutes.
• Try the process for about 3 days for best results.

8. Aloe Vera to Cure Conjunctivitis

Aloe Vera is equally best solution for skin, hair, and eyes. It is the only solution for almost every skin and hair problem. It also has the power to fight viral, bacterial and fungal infections in the eyes. Properties in aloe Vera gel, such as amodin and aloin have antiviral and antibacterial properties. Aloe Vera has the ability to reduce inflammation and speed up healing. Aloe Vera is one of the best remedies to treat pink eye.

Uses

• Soak a part of a clean handkerchief in fresh aloe Vera gel and place it on the infected eye.

9. Baking Soda to Treat Pink Eye

Baking soda is one of the best home remedies to cure pink eye as it gives a soothing effect to eyes. Make an eyewash with baking soda.

Uses:

• Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda in 1 cup of water and use it as an eyewash.

10. Apply Warm Compress to Cure Pink Eye

If you are suffering from a viral or bacterial pink eye, apply a warm compress. As warm compress reduces swelling caused due to pink eye. You can also use a cold compress. A cold compress helps to cure eye infection due to an allergy.

Uses:

• Soak a clean cloth in cold or lukewarm water and gently press it over the infected eye.

11. Chamomile Flower To Treat Pink Eye

Chamomile tea is incredibly effective to treat pink eye. It is known for its anti-irritant, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Ingredients:

• Good quality chamomile tea.
• Filtered water
• Cotton or makeup pad.

Uses:

• Boil a cup of filtered water.
• Add 1 teaspoon of dried chamomile flower in it.
• Let it cool down and use it as eyewash after straining.

12. Barberry to Treat Pink Eye

Filled with antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, the barberry plant is an effective remedy to treat pink eye. Barberry is a good anti-bacterial agent, and therefore, helps in curing the pink eye.

Uses:

• Take some powdered barberry and boil it in a cup of water.
• Use the solution as an eye wash. 

13. Yogurt to Treat Pink Eye

Beneficial bacteria are effective for killing the harmful bacteria that cause pinkeye. Yogurt is the rich source of probiotics that treat pink eye at home.

Uses:

• Take live cultured yogurt and apply it as a poultice on the infected eye to eliminate the redness and inflammation caused due to a pink eye.

14. Boric Acid to Treat Pink Eye

Due to antiseptic and cleaning properties, boric acid works well to treat pink eye. Boric acid treats the bacteria that cause conjunctivitis and soothes inflammation of the eye.

Uses:

• Dilute a tablespoon of boric acid in a ¼ cup of boiling water
• Use it as an eyewash to treat the infection.
• Boric acid can also be applied as a compress over the infected eye. This remedy should be repeated at least thrice a week in order to get the best results.

15. Marigold to Cure Conjunctivitis

Marigold is popularly known as an antiseptic as well as an anti-inflammatory. It can reduce the pain and inflammation of the eyes caused by conjunctivitis. This also the best solution to treat pink eye.

Uses:

• Use a compress of the marigold extract on the pink eye to reduce the infection  and inflammation in the eye.