Home Remedies For Pink Eye

Pink Eye is a common eye infection resulting in inflammation of the conjunctiva, a mucous membrane that covers the white part of the eye. The infection and inflammation cause blood vessels present in the conjunctiva to become more prominent thereby making the eye look reddish pink.

It is a contagious disease that causes irritation and discomfort in the eye but usually does not cause any long term visual damage. The condition is generally not considered very serious and tends to heal in about a week or ten days time. Numerous natural home remedies for Pink Eye natural treatment when followed carefully can prove to be highly beneficial in dealing with this ailment effectively.

Causes of Pink Eye

Bacterial and viral infections are the most common causes of Pink Eye or Conjunctivitis. Being a contagious disease, it tends to spread through direct contact or unhygienic surroundings.

Children are more susceptible to this disease as compared to adults. New born babies with narrow or blocked tear ducts are at an increased risk of developing Pink Eye. Allergic reactions or exposure to certain chemicals or environmental irritants (smoke, dust, pollen etc) may give rise to this ailment.

Though rare, still Pink Eye could also be a symptom of diseases like Lyme disease, Sarcoidosis, Reiter’s syndrome, Blepharitis, Dry Eye and other such diseases causing inflammation.

Symptoms of Pink Eye

Pink Eye caused by viral infection generally affects only one eye and is accompanied by itching, burning, heavy watering and light discharge. There could be mild sensitivity to light.

On the other hand, Pink Eye caused by bacterial infection usually spreads to both the eyes and is often accompanied by redness, swelling, and a moderate to heavy yellow or green colored discharge. The accumulation of discharge results in the formation of crusts on the eye lids.

This crusting in turn causes more problems by sticking the eye lids together, especially after the eyes have been closed for a long time. Plus, the affected individual may have a feeling of some sand-like article in the eye. Allergic reactions leading to Pink Eye cause intense itching, redness and tearing in both the eyes. Additional allergy symptoms such as runny and itchy nose may also be present.

Natural Home Remedies for Pink Eye

• Having a mixture of juice extracted from Indian Gooseberry and honey is one of the simplest natural home remedies for Pink Eyes. Prepare this natural remedy by adding two teaspoons of honey in a cup of Indian Gooseberry juice. Drink this solution two times per day until the disease is cured completely.
• Boil some dried coriander seeds in about 60 ml of water and use this home remedy as an effective eye wash for reducing Pink Eye symptoms naturally at home.
• Another natural eye wash can be prepared by mixing one teaspoon of oregon grape root and two teaspoons of chamomile flowers in two cups of boiling water.
• Cool and strain this mixture and use it as one of the most therapeutic Pink Eye home remedies. Herbs like calendula, eyebright, fennel etc are also beneficial in getting rid of this problem.
• Washing the eyes with tea prepared from goldthread leaves serves as a good natural cure for Pink Eye related pain and inflammation. Marigold compresses are also useful in reducing this problem.
• Aloe vera juice, green tea, black tea, tea prepared from powdered barberry root bark and a mixture of one teaspoon baking soda and two cups of water, all these solutions can be used as homemade eye washes to relieve Pink Eye pain and other symptoms. A decoction prepared from jasmine flowers helps in healing Pink Eye caused by bacterial infection.
• Red potato poultice and yogurt poultice are regarded as valuable home remedies for Pink Eye Conjunctivitis. Use peeled and sliced red potatoes for potato poultice.
• Vegetable juices serve as excellent natural remdies for Pink Eye home treatment. A combination of 300 ml carrot juice and 200 ml spinach juice is highly beneficial in this regard. Spinach juice can also be replaced by fresh parsley juice.

Diet for Pink Eye

A healthy diet with special emphasis on foods rich in vitamin A and vitamin B2 is highly recommended when dealing with Pink Eye. Thus, vegetables and fruits such as pumpkins, carrots, tomatoes, papayas, bananas, mangoes and other green leafy vegetables should be positively included in the diet.

Regular consumption of whole milk, butter, yogurt and other dairy products is also beneficial in the treatment of Pink Eye. Plus, increase the consumption of natural fruit and vegetable juices and stay away from sugary, starchy and fatty foods.

Besides, restrict the consumption of strong spices, condiments and caffeinated beverages. Apart from these measures, do some eye relaxing eye exercises and carry out cold water fomentation to soothe the itchy and painful eyes.