General Tips Irritant Conjunctivitis

• • Try to avoid glaring, have regular breaks and plenty of sleep.
  • Try to avoid use of air conditioning, central heating and dusty environments.
  • One can use salt water eye drops if suitable, it acts as an antiseptic and clean out any debris in the eye, particularly if one has swelling below the eye lid as this can either be caused normally by an infection such as:
    • Blocked eye duct or blocked hair follicle (eye lash)
      • Symptoms include:
        • Dry, gritty eyes – can worsen through out day and/or do activities that reduce blinking rate.
        • Burning and/or stinging sensation – when first wake up exposed to causing eye dryness.
        • Watery eyes – not enough quality tears and hence produce this instead.
        • Blurry vision – tear film is not stable when doing eye demanding work and driving
        • red, inflamed eyelids – blocked glands.
    • Use a warm compress/heat masks rather than warm wash cloths (as this can cool too quickly) that maintain a consistence temperature to melt the natural oils in the glands of the eye and provide a closer balance of tear quality. Use heats mask for 10 -15 mins twice daily for oils of the tears to flow naturally.
• Wear goggles to protect eyes i.e. from chlorine in swimming pools and DIY work.
• Get plenty of sleep; avoid repeated late nights and early mornings.
• Your contact lens solution may be causing the irritation, if had it recently check with optician to change to another.
• Use drops/sprays before eyes starting to feel irritated.
• Stop or cut down smoking
• Check if have family history of eye conditions and let your medical doctor know
• Obtain an eye wash cap or cotton wool and bathe infected eye in boiled/cooled water
  or use eye wipes and dispose.
• If irritation around eyes or on eye lids, one can use a paraffin base product or simple eye ointment.
• Avoid rubbing eyes. Always wash your hands if you do touch your eyes.
• Dispose your used tissues and do not share towels, pillow, flannels, and sunglasses.
• Don’t wear eye makeup and dispose infected cosmetic products.
• Use a humidifier at home and work. This will help to moisture the air. Have plenty of air circulate (open windows) and maintain a cool temperature.
• Do not share eye drops.
• Wear quality wraparound sunglasses with CE mark to protect your eyes.
• Patient may get a taste of eye drops in mouth or failing that eye drops running back of the throat. This is normal as tears drain at back of nose. Eye drops may drain as well.

General Eye Vision

• Limit alcohol intake, coffee, fizzy drinks and tea – they will dehydrate you.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Have regular eye examinations, especially if over 40 years old at least every two years.
• Eat a healthy diet, low in unsaturated fats, high in fruit and vegetables.
• Eat plenty of dark green leafy vegetables, kales, spinach, turnip tops, broccoli and carrots. These contain lots of nutrients that convert to Vitamin A.
• Eat more Omega 3 fat products: tuna, mackerel, sardines, herring and salmon for good eye function. At least two portions weekly.
• Do not smoke.
• Have regular check up with doctor/optometrist particularly if any eye conditions, blood pressure, weak immune system i.e. diabetes.
• Avoid eye injuries (wear protective goggles).
• Keep physically active (choose exercise carefully, adopting head down position increases pressure in eyes).
• If wearing lenses, always follow good hygiene routines as advised by your optician.
• People wearing contact lens more than 5 days a week for longer than 12 hrs a day should see optometrist every six months.

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Contact lens wearers

• Wash and dry hands before using any lenses.
• Clean, rinse and disinfect your lenses each time one remove’s them.
• Keep all solutions bottles closed when not in use.
• Clean your lens daily and le it air dry and replace every three months.
• Always use solution by its expiry date on the bottle otherwise discard
• Removes lens before one goes swimming.
• See your optician regularly for general checkups.

Never:

• Let soaps, cosmetics or other products touch your lenses.
• Let the tip of the contact solution bottle touch any surface including the contact lens.
• Re-use any lens solution.
• Wear your lens in a harmful or irritating vapour and/or fumes environment.
• Wear lens more than the time scale stated by manufacturer.
• Swap or share contact lenses.

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How to use eye drops

• Wash hands before opening the bottle.
• Bend head backwards and pull down lower eye lid.
• Put one drop into the eye and blink few times so medication can spread over whole eye. (Avoid touching the tip of product to eye).
• Close the eye for a few minutes;
• Wipe away any excess on face.
• If you need more than one drop wait a few minutes before putting next drop.
• Make sure the tip doesn’t touch your fingers or any other surface to prevent contamination.
• Ensure the cap is replaced and hands are washed before resuming activities.
• The bottle should be closed and store in a dark cool place after use.
• Eye drops must be sterile.
• Read instructions carefully. Some eye drops need to be kept in fridge e.g. Chloramphenicol.
• Throw away eye drops (used or not) four weeks after opening unless stated otherwise (write the date when first opened on bottle).

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Natural treatments and tips (DR Axe)