Eye Flu: Can Looking At Someone's Eyes Cause Conjunctivitis? Check Symptoms, Prevention And At-Home Care

Conjunctivitis cases have increased nationwide, from Delhi, Mumbai, and Arunachal Pradesh, as a result of constant rain, flooding, and waterlogging. In reality, schools in a number of areas in Arunachal Pradesh have been closed for a few days due to the alarming increase in instances of eye flu. 

Conjuntivitis can cause redness, itching, and discharge in the eyes, and since a crust may form over the afflicted eye in the morning, it may be difficult to open that eye. The person may appear to have enlarged eyes and be sensitive to light.

Conjunctivitis spreads quickly and can persist for a long time on surfaces like towel hangers, tissues, and doorknobs. It can also quickly spread in poorly ventilated areas. When experiencing conjunctivitis, one should refrain from touching anything after coming into contact with their eyes. Sharing private objects is not advised if you have an eye infection.

Eye Flu: Symptoms

It is a common misunderstanding that eye flu may transmit simply by staring into someone's eyes. Here are the symptoms of eye flu that you can spot easily:

- Redness

- Itching

- Tearing

- Discharge

- Sensitivity to Light

- Swelling of eyelids

- Pain

- Some may have Blurry Vision

Eye Flu: Prevention

Recent studies have demonstrated that airborne particles can spread ocular flu. Virus-carrying respiratory droplets from an infected person's cough or sneeze may come into contact with another person's eyes and cause illness. 

Practice Good Hygiene: Wash your hands frequently, and avoid sharing personal items like towels or cosmetics.

Avoid Eye Rubbing: Refrain from touching or rubbing your eyes, as this can transfer germs to the eyes.

Use Protective Eyewear: When swimming or engaging in activities that may expose your eyes to irritants, wear goggles to shield them.

Stay Away from Infected Individuals: If someone around you has conjunctivitis, maintain a safe distance to avoid catching the infection.

Follow Proper Contact Lens Care: If you wear contact lenses, follow your eye doctor's instructions for cleaning and handling them.

Tips to Care for Eye Flu at Home

Eye flu is highly contagious due to its capacity to live on surfaces and spread through direct or indirect contact with infected eye fluids. The virus may survive on materials like towels, tissues, and doorknobs, aiding in the transmission of the disease. 

Here are some at-home care tips for conjunctivitis if you think you or someone in your family may be sick with it:

Practice Hand Hygiene: Always wash your hands. To avoid the transmission of illness, refrain from sharing towels, washcloths, eye drops, or cosmetics with others.

Warm or cold Compress: You can ease discomfort and lessen swelling by placing ice packs on your closed eyelids or applying a clean, warm compress to them. For a few minutes, lay a soft, lint-free cloth over your closed eyes that has been soaked in warm water. Repeat as necessary all day long. If your swelling and allergy sensations are worse, cover your closed eyes with ice cubes for a few minutes. Place used tissue in the trash.

Artificial Tears: Artificial tears, which are available over-the-counter, can help keep your eyes moist and reduce dryness and irritation. 

Avoid Makeup: Eye makeup, such as mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow, should be avoided while you have conjunctivitis since it can aggravate the condition and be bacterially contaminated.

Remove Contact Lenses: Conjunctivitis requires you to stop wearing contact lenses and switch to glasses until the infection is gone.

Clean Eyeglasses: To get rid of any potential impurities, be sure to clean your glasses if you use them with mild soap and water.

Avoid Eye touching or Rubbing: As a result, the conjunctiva may become even more irritated, with a risk that the infection will spread to the other eye or to other people.

Eye Flu Treatment

Do not use over-the-counter eye drops or self-medicate. For accurate diagnosis and management, speak with an eye care specialist. She will check your eyes to determine the sort of infection you have, the area of your eyes that is affected, and the appropriate course of treatment. The eye drops are lubricating and anti-inflammatory to calm your eyes and hasten healing.

Although the majority of conjunctivitis is viral and self-limiting, antibiotic eye drops are used for superadded bacterial infections.