Hygiene is the first step to take if you are thinking of ways to help you protect yourself from the diseases surrounding you at every stage. Somewhere just because an initiative toward cleanliness is even helping people fight from non curable diseases. But, what if you forget to follow hygiene steps and find yourself surrounded by viruses, and bacteria, or a single act of carelessness can force you to cover the distance from home to the hospital for a particular tenure? Some of the causes take the form of diseases and enter your life and these could be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc. Nowadays people are suffering from one of the diseases caused by a virus which is known as eye flu also known as viral conjunctivitis.
Conjunctivitis is a kind of contagious infection that directly affects the eyes and is caused by viruses and bacteria and causes a lot of difficulties in the eyes such as itching, pain, tearing, sensitivity towards light, blurry vision, etc. It is also called pink eye and transfers from one person to another after having eye contact with the infected one or after touching the objects that have bacteria on the them. To understand in depth about the eye flu and how to protect yourself from such infection we are here to discuss all the causes, preventions, and precautions with you.
What Is Eye Flu or Conjunctivitis?
As we discussed above, eye flu is a contagious disease that a person can suffer after being in contact with an infected one or touching surfaces that have bacteria. It can affect everyone whether it’s a child or an old person. Eye flu is caused by viruses, bacteria, and many more and a person can suffer from various symptoms such as redness, itching, blurry vision, etc The viruses that are responsible for causing eye flu are herpes simplex virus, adenoviruses and enteroviruses. It is a serious infection that can affect the eyes and we all know that the eyes are a delicate part. A person must be careful towards such infection.
Causes Of Eye Flu
The eye flu is caused when the conjunctiva gets inflamed by viruses known as herpes simplex virus, enteroviruses, and adenoviruses. Besides viruses, other factors are responsible for eye flu such as bacteria, allergies, contact lens wear, and many more. Now to understand in-depth the causes of eye flu have a look below:-
- Allergies: When allergens such as dust, pollen grains, and eye drops target the eye the body releases histamine, turns the eye red, and causes itching and irritation. It is not contagious in nature and affects both eyes equally.
- Contact Lens Wear: When the wearer does not follow proper hygiene manners it can initiate the growth of bacteria and viruses. In order to protect from such eye flu it is always advised to the wearer to clean the lens on a daily basis and its replacement at regular intervals.
- Viruses: It is one of the major causes of eye flu. Adenovirus is the primary leading virus that not only causes eye flu but also causes cough and cold. It transfers through the wind, contaminated places, or infected persons to others.
- Different Environmental Factors: There are many objects present in the environment that can easily affect your sensitive eyes such as pollution, smoke, chemicals, etc. When they come in contact with the eye affects it for some time and makes the person uncomfortable. Such kinds of factors do not lead to a serious and contagious eye flu that lasts for some days or weeks but makes the eye red, itchy, and painful.
- Bacteria: Bacteria also play a major role in causing eye flu after the virus and can last long. Haemophilus influenza, Staphylococcus aureus, and streptococcus pneumonia are some of the bacteria that are highly responsible for causing eye flu and can affect your eyes on a high scale. If a person touches contaminated places, follows poor hygiene methods, and rubs or touches the eyes with unhygienic hands then it can cause conjunctivitis which is more serious than virus-causing conjunctivitis.
Symptoms Of Eye Flu
If a person is suffering from eye flu then one of the first things is symptoms that are noticed to figure out the intensity of the flu. There are some symptoms mentioned below that can be noticed to know whether the person is suffering from the eye flu or not:-
- Sensitivity Towards Light: If a person is suffering from the eye flu then it might be possible that he/she will not be able to tolerate light and may feel uneasy and in pain.
- Causes Irritation And Redness: The eyes become red or pink in color just after the conjunctiva is inflamed by the virus. The eyes totally turn in red or pink color causing irritation and itchiness.
- Swollen eyelids: If a person has eye flu then he/she might feel swelling in the eyelids or it will look swollen and will create difficulty in opening them.
- Makes eyes watery: One of the leading causes of having watery eyes at the time of eye flu is tear glands. It stimulates the tear glands and it causes excessive tears that make eyes watery. It disturbs the infected one and creates difficulty in performing daily routine tasks.
- Fluid discharge: An infected person suffers from the discharge of fluid that occurs after waking up in the morning. It is usually yellowish or greenish in color and sticks to the eyelids causing difficulty to the eyes and occurs due to bacterial conjunctivitis. It can also be watery or clean depending upon the intensity of the eye flu.
- Painful Blinks: It can cause severe or intense pain while blinking and can increase the irritation and discomfort in the eyes.
List of Precautions For Eye Flu
- Keep Hands Away From Eyes: One of the major causes of having eye flu is frequently touching the eye with hands. Although you keep your hands clean you should not touch your eyes as hands can never escape direct contact with the germs and it only affects the delicate eyes which results in infections or allergies.
- Be Attentive Towards Pink Eye: If you are noticing that the color of your eyes is changing into pink or red then you must not ignore it and should pay attention to whether it is the flu or not as it is the primary symptom.
- Frequently Clean Your Hands: To avoid infections and allergies the first step that you should follow is cleaning your hands. It will prevent viruses, bacteria and other germs. One of the standard times for washing hands is 20 seconds which must be followed to avoid germs and bacteria.
- Keep Distance From Infected One: If the infected ones are near to you then you must maintain distance from them or avoid eye contact as it is a contagious disease. It can spread easily or you should avoid eye contact as it can also lead to the spread of eye flu.
- Maintain Hygiene: To avoid such contagious diseases you must clean your surroundings on a frequent basis and should sanitize your daily use of things such as your phone, laptop, glasses, etc.
Treatment To Cure Conjunctivitis
To cure eye flu effectively here are some medications and home remedies mentioned below that have elaborated even to explain to you in-depth how you can cure the roots of conjunctivitis and can get relief fast.
Home Remedies
To control the effect of eye flu you can adopt some homemade solutions to get relief from it. If you have eye flu then you can use saline water as it soothes irritation. If you rinse off your eyes with saline water then it gives you relief instantly without any side effects. You can also go for warm compresses to avoid strain and discomfort. At the time of eye flu, the person must get good sleep and should rest frequently so that the body can be ready to fight such infectious diseases. If your eyes are suffering from excessive redness and inflammation you can use tea bags as it provides coolness and reduces redness and inflammation.
Medications
Besides home remedies, the person must go for medications as it is the proper solution for any illness and discomfort and for speedy recovery. If you have eye pain, headache, or discomfort in eye flu then you can take pain relievers for example ibuprofen or acetaminophen. NSAIDs or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used by an infected person in case of redness, inflammation, and discomfort. If the person is suffering from itching, or allergies and looking for a temporary solution before consulting a doctor then he/she can use antihistamines as it can help them in easing the pain and irritation of the eyes.
Conclusion
This was all about the eye flu and its symptoms, causes, and precautions that have been discussed above. Conjunctivitis, while common and discomforting, can be managed effectively with proper understanding and care. By identifying its causes, symptoms, treatments and taking necessary precautions, you can minimize the risk of spreading this condition. To keep the infection away you need to follow the above steps and maintain a distance from the infected one in order to stay healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to avoid eye flu then you should wash your hands frequently, avoid touching contaminated surfaces, and should maintain a distance from the infected person.
An infected person will suffer from painful blinks, redness in the eyes, fluid discharge, sensitivity toward light, etc.
The maximum duration of the eye flu is one or two weeks but it also depends on the immune system of the patient.
The eye flu is also known as pink eye and conjunctivitis.
If you have eye flu then avoid touching them and do not rub your eyes.
