Home Remedies for Conjuctivitis, Redness of Eyes, Alternative Remedies
Conjunctivitis refers to an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin transparent membrane covering the front of the eye. This is also referred to as having 'sore eyes' and is a very common form of eye trouble. It spreads from person to person through direct contact Overcrowding, dirty surroundings and unhealthy living conditions can cause epidemics of this ailment
Causes and Symptoms
The eyeball and underside of the eyelids become inflammed. At first, the eyes are red and itchy. Later, there may be a watery secretion. In more serious cases, there is pus formation, which dries up during sleep, making the lashes stick together.
Conjunctivitis results from bacterial or a virus infection or eyestrain. Prolonged work under artificial light and excessive use of the eyes in one way or the other, no doubt, contribute towards the disease. But its real cause can be traced to a catarrhal condition of the system resulting from general toxaemia due to dietetic errors, and a faulty style of living. The patient generally suffers from colds or other ailments indicative of a general catarrhal condition.
A doctor must be consulted before any recommended home remedies are put into the eyes.
Raw juices of certain vegetables, especially carrots and spinach, have been found valuable in conjunctivitis. The combined juices of these two vegetables have proved very effective. In this combination, 200 ml of spinach juice should be mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice. Raw parsley (prajmoda) juice-200 ml, mixed with 300 ml of carrot juice has also been found beneficial in the treatment of this disease.
The juice of the Indian gooseberry, mixed with honey, is useful in conjunctivitis. A cup of this juice should be taken mixed with two teaspoons of honey twice daily in treating this condition.
Vitamins A and B2 have proved useful in conjunctivitis. The patient should take liberal quantities of natural foods rich in these two vitamins. Foods rich in vitamin A are whole milk, curds, butter, carrots, pumpkin, green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, mangoes, and papaya. Foods rich in vitamin B2 are green leafy vegetables, milk, almonds, citrus fruits, bananas, and tomatoes.
A decoction prepared with a handful of dried coriander in 60 ml of water is an excellent eye-wash in conjunctivitis. It is said to relieve burning and reduces pain and swelling. This decoction should, however, be sparingly used by persons suffering from bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis.
The best way to commence treatment for conjunctivitis is to adopt an exclusive fresh fruit diet for a week. In this regimen, the three meals a day should consist of fresh, juicy seasonal fruits. Bananas should, however, not be taken. Those with acute conjunctivitis should undertake a juice fast for three or four days. The short juice fast may be followed by an all-fruit diet for a further 'seven days. Thereafter, the patient may adopt a restricted diet, consisting of fresh fruits, raw mixed-vegetable salad, whole meal bread or chapatis and steamed vegetables, and nuts.
The patient should avoid an excessive intake of starchy and sugary foods in the form of white bread, refined cereals, potatoes, puddings, sugar, jams, confectionery, meats, fatty foods, strong tea
and coffee, too much salt, condiments, and sauces which cause a general catarrhal condition as well as conjunctivitis.
Those taking a juice fast for the first three or four days of the treatment should take a warm-water enema daily during the fast
A cold water fomentation of the eyes provides almost immediate relief. The procedure is to fold a small hand towel, saturate it with cold water, squeeze out excess water and place the towel gently over both the eyes. It should be covered with a piece of warm cloth to retain the temperature. The process should be repeated as soon as the foment becomes warm. Fomentation should be done for an hour. The eyes should then be covered with a dry towel, and the patient should lie back and relax. The damaged eye tissues will quickly return to normal. This treatment should be repeated every night for a week, even though the problem may clear up with the first treatment itself.
The patient should also adopt various methods of relaxing and strengthening the eyes. These include moving the eyes gently up and down, from side to side and in a circle - clockwise and anticlockwise; rotating the neck in circles and semicircles; and briskly moving the shoulders clockwise and anticlockwise. Palming is highly beneficial in removing strain and relaxing the eyes and its surrounding tissues. The procedure is as follows; sit in a comfortable position and relax with your eyes closed. Cover the eyes with the palms, right palm over the right eye and the left over the left eye. Do not press on the eye balls. Then allow your elbows to drop to your knees, which should be fairly close together.