Eye flu

Medical term for eye flu is conjunctivitis and also known as pink eye.

Conjunctivitis is an irritation or inflammation of the conjunctiva, which cover the white part of eye ball, it can be extremely contagious and spread by contact with eye secretions from infected person or by touching contaminated surface.

It is of three type Bacterial conjunctivitis, viral conjunctivitis and allergic conjunctivitis.

Bacterial conjunctivitis- patients with bacterial conjunctivitis complaining of redness, tearing and discharge from one or both eyes. The disease course can be divided into hyperacute, acute(less than 3 to 4 weeks) and chronic(greater than four weeks). Associated with pain, itching, vision loss and photophobia.

Causative organism are Haemophilus influenza, streptococcus pneumonia, moraxella catarrhalis.

Viral conjunctivitis- It is responsible for majority of infectious conjunctivitis, most common cause is adeno viruses. Symptoms are same as bacterial conjunctivitis, they usually resolve of their own within one or two weeks.

Allergic conjunctivitis- It is inflammation of the lining of eye due to allergy. Allergens may be pollen, dust, smoke etc.

• If you have conjunctivitis contact an eye doctor to confirm diagnosis and receive appropriate treatment.

Do not take medicines of your own, follow treatment instructions and complete full course of treatment.

TO prevent conjunctivitis-

1 practice good health hygiene- wash your hand frequently with soap and water, especially after touching your eyes, blowing nose, or being in public places.

2 Avoid close contact- try to avoid close contact with someone infected from conjunctivitis.

3 Do not share personal items- Sharing towels, wash clothes, eye drops, contact lenses or eye make up with others can spread infection.

4 Clean and disinfect- Regulary clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may spread infection like door knobs, counter tops, eye glases.

5 Use proper hand hygiene- Use hand sanitizer to avoid introduction of new bacteria and viruses.

6 Practice respiratory etiquette- Cover your mouth and nose with tissue or your elbow when coughing or sneezing to prevent spread of respiratory droplets that may contain viruses.

If got infected with conjunctivitis

1 Isolate yourself  to avoid spread of infection and stay home.

2 Practice good hygiene wash your hand and use sanitizers.

3 Avoid contact lenses until infection has completely resolved.

4 use warm compression to your closed eyes can help sooth discomfort and reduce stickiness of any eye discharge.

5 Avoid rubbing your eyes this  can irritate them further and potentially spread infection to your hands and other surfaces.

6 If you use tissue to wipe eye discharge  make sure to dispose them properly in closed trash bin.

7 Seek medical advice contact eye doctors and follow treatment instructions and complete full course of treatment.