What to Do If You Have an Eye Infection

Eye infections can develop on your eyelid, cornea, or conjunctiva. The infections can be uncomfortable, even painful. If you do not treat them, they could potentially lead to loss of vision and blindness. Other eye infections will go away on their own or with simple treatment.

 

Symptoms

Symptoms of eye infections vary and depend on the eye infection. However, they present common symptoms. These include:

• Irritation of the eyes

• Pain or discomfort

• Tearing

• Itching

• Tender eyelids

• Light sensitivity

• Burning sensation

• Blurry vision

• Painful lump at the base of the lashes or under the eyelid

Treatment

The doctor needs to diagnose the infection to prescribe the right treatment. It may involve taking a sample of the eye infection for culture and assessing its specifics.

Many viral eye infections will resolve themselves, while antibiotics will target the bacteria causing the infection. The same applies to fungal infections. There are also several effective home remedies to deal with allergic eye infections. Make sure you seek medical advice before using them.

 

Viral Infections

With viral infections, there is no way to eliminate the virus. Some viral infections will resolve themselves, while others need home remedies to treat the symptoms. The doctor may prescribe antiviral eye drops or oral medication to stop the eye infection in a few days. However, the symptoms may return later.

 

Bacterial Infections

Oral antibiotics, antibacterial ointments, or eyedrops will clear the infection in a few days. The antibiotics are specific to the bacteria causing the infection, so seek medical assistance early enough. The doctor will take a culture, diagnose the cause, and prescribe the right antibiotic.

 

Fungal Infections

As with bacterial infections, the doctor will take a culture and prescribe fungal medication. Remember to see your doctor early enough to prevent further complications.

 

Allergic Infections

You can alleviate the symptoms of allergic eye infections using antihistamines. You can take them as oral medication or eye drops. The best way to deal with allergic eye infections is to deal with the root cause, the organism causing the allergy.

Home Remedies

As a word of caution, take your child to the doctor instead of using home remedies if they have an eye infection. Still, several home remedies work, including:

 

• Saltwater

• Warm compress

• Cold compress

• Teabags

• Washing linens

• Discarding old makeup

You should not share your makeup. Furthermore, old makeup may harbor harmful bacteria. Throw it away and disinfect your brushes. Better yet, throw away the makeup brushes to avoid recontamination. Wash your linens with hot water and detergent. It will get rid of any remaining bacteria. These two are preventive measures, while the rest alleviate the symptoms.

 

Saltwater, teabags, warm compresses, and cold compresses may soothe your eyes and provide relief. However, they do not cure the infection. Hence, make sure that your doctor looks at your eye infection and diagnoses it.

For more information on what to do if you have an eye infection, contact Lakhani Vision Care at our office in Marietta, Georgia. You can call (770) 509-9932 today to schedule an appointment.