Conjunctivitis is an inflammation and irritation of the conjunctiva, which is the clear mucous membrane that lines the whites of the eyes and the insides of the eyelids. This condition can occur for a variety of reasons, including infectious, allergic or irritant-induced causes. According to Bill Gottlieb's book, "Alternative Cures," viral conjunctivitis, also known as pinkeye, often responds to home remedies or goes away on its own. Using home remedies to speed up the clearing of this infection is important for reducing its contagion.
Warm Compresses
Viral conjunctivitis displays the classic symptoms of inflammation, including redness, watering and itching. It is caused by tracking viral organisms from the nasal and mouth area during a sore throat, cold or flu to the eyes. Just as these viral conditions must run their course, so too must the conjunctival inflammation caused by them. It generally lasts from four to seven days, and support to the immune system may help it resolve sooner. Warm compresses help to draw blood to mucosal surfaces, by dilating blood vessels. Blood naturally carries disease-fighting immune cells, and when drawn to this area, John D. Kirschmann, author of "Nutrition Almanac," notes that this home remedy can be helpful in fighting the eye infection. "1,801 Home Remedies," by Reader's Digest, suggests that this be done in five-minute series, three to four times a day.
Chamomile Compress
Chamomile is used as a topical remedy in many conditions. For viral conjunctivitis, Gottlieb recommends using chamomile teabags to reduce inflammation. He suggests placing the teabag in warm, not hot, water for two to three minutes. Squeeze the excess off and place the damp, but not dripping, wet teabag over the eye for two to three minutes. This treatment can also be used three to four times per day.
Breast Milk
Breast milk is considered the most perfect food on earth. It is also a great source of immune-enhancing antibodies. Antibodies are the part of the immune system that assist with the recognition of infectious organisms and stimulate their destruction at an exaggerated speed. Breast milk is the best and most expedient home remedy for viral conjunctivitis. Infants and small children are highly susceptible to developing viral conjunctivitis, due to their uninhibited reflexes for touching their mouth, nose and eyes. S. Suresh Babu, author of "A Treatise on Home Remedies," notes that fresh breast milk is the best home remedy for conjunctivitis. He recommends pouring the freshly pumped milk into both eyes four to five times per day.
Baby Shampoo
Baby shampoo is specially formulated to the natural pH of the human eye, and therefore is nonirritating. The virus causes the eye to secrete a clear watery substance. This watery discharge can easily displace the microorganisms from the infected to the uninfected eye and from one person to next. "Reader's Digest" notes that a baby shampoo-water solution can be used to wipe away the secretions of viral and crusty material of bacterial conjunctivitis. The "Reader's Digest" book notes that a cotton ball soaked in one part baby shampoo to a 10 part warm-water solution will clean the area.
References
- "Alternative Cures"; Bill Gottlieb; 2008
- "Nutrition Almanac"; John D. Kirschmann; 2007
- "1,801 Home Remedies"; Reader's Digest; 2004
- "A Treatise on Home Remedies"; S. Suresh Babu; 2010
Member Comments
weisinspear February 2
Relief tip! I have a bad case of pinkeye and it feels like i have a boulder in my eye. I read that this is common and the irritation comes from the upper eyelid, and especially the edge of the eyelid, so on a hunch, I tried the old eyelid cleaning trick of pulling the upper eyelid out and down over the lower one and voila, as long as i kept it there, I had relief. So I got some medical paper tape and taped the upper eyelid in this position by running a small piece of tape from the eyelid down to my cheek. I have almost complete relief, without meds, and stopping the irritation to the eyeball can't be bad! I take it off at night, since my eyes are closed anyway...