La conjunctivitis It is the inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, transparent tissue that covers the entire eyeball. When a person has conjunctivitis, the conjunctiva swells in such a way that its blood capillaries dilate, the eye becomes red, there are excess tears and secretions, and a very annoying itching occurs in the ocular structure.
Due to the anti-inflammatory properties that chamomile has, many people recommend its use for conjunctivitis. But is this home remedy for eye care effective? Find out below at Área Oftalmológica Avanzada.
Conjunctivitis home remedies
Home remedies have been around a lifetime, and there are few people who prefer to solve certain discomforts and ailments through natural alternatives.
When it comes to combating inflammation of the conjunctiva in particular, Home remedies for conjunctivitis most used are:
- Cold cucumber slices on the eyes.
- Wash the eyes with milk.
- Slices of raw potatoes before sleeping.
- Chamomile sachets.
- Calendula natural ointment.
- Frozen bread on the Eyelids.
- Wash your eyes with water and salt.
However, are effective home remedies for cure conjunctivitis? The answer is No. Conjunctivitis is a condition that once occurs must be treated with eye drops to combat the origin of the problem and its symptoms.
Conjunctivitis is often an infectious process caused by bacteria that must be treated with antibiotic medications to prevent these bacteria from proliferating even more in the ocular structure and causing the expansion of the infection towards the internal area of the eye.
Using home remedies as the only treatment for conjunctivitis can make the disease even worse and cause it to become a condition chronicle, that is, recurring in time. By saying this we do not want to deny the positive and anti-inflammatory effects of home remedies such as cucumber, it is only important to make it clear that the benefits of natural remedies can be used in a cosmetic or preventive way, but not curative.
Is chamomile in the eyes good?
Chamomile is a plant with excellent anti-inflammatory properties and the consumption and topical use of its infusion is recommended for a number of conditions.
We've all heard how good Chamomile for conjunctivitis, but is it true? Let's first know the benefits of this plant and then the disadvantages of applying it topically to the ocular structure.
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It is true, chamomile is a powerful natural anti-inflammatory which helps fight swelling and itching, symptoms present in conjunctivitis.
Nowadays there are many medications that incorporate chamomile to enhance its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and analgesic effects.
Disadvantages of chamomile in the eyes
Chamomile works differently if you ingest it or if you apply it topically. To take full advantage of its benefits, the ideal is to ingest an infusion, since its topical action is not as powerful as it is believed.
Apply chamomile to the eyes for conjunctivitis it's a big mistake. Conjunctivitis, as we have said before, is a very annoying process, the eyes are wet, full of secretions and tears, and, sometimes, infected. If we add chamomile water to that scenario what we can get is a much more serious infection.
Here we explain some reasons why you should not use chamomile for conjunctivitis:
- Chamomile not a sterile solution. The eyes are very delicate structures and should only be cleaned with sterile solutions such as saline solution. Even if a person does not have any eye conditions and uses chamomile to wash their eyes, they may be at risk of infecting them.
- The components of chamomile can generate a ocular irritation. Many times, the benefits of ingesting chamomile are not the same as when applying it, and it is that in the composition of this plant there may be particles that alter the ocular flora. Some of these particles may be pollen debris: can you imagine what it would mean for a little pollen to come into contact with the eyes of a patient with allergic conjunctivitis due to allergy to pollen? Counterproductive!
- There is no scientific evidence that chamomile is good for conjunctivitis or other conditions. Chamomile is nothing more than a very effective anti-inflammatory home remedy for stomach pain. However, there are no scientifically based recommendations that say how much chamomile to use in the eyes and at what temperature it is ideal to apply it. Therefore, the best decision will be not to use it.
Go to an ophthalmologist to cure conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is a fairly frequent and temporary disease and, like any eye condition must be seen by an ophthalmologist. When you have conjunctivitis symptoms The ideal is not to go to the home remedies but to the ophthalmologist to check the eyes and prescribe the appropriate treatment according to the cause of the conjunctivitis: bacteria, viruses or an allergy.
Never forget that each case is different and only a specialist knows what to prescribe and how to treat conjunctivitis according to its type and severity. It is also important to know that this disease suggests a series of special care and hygiene rules that can only be indicated by a specialist ophthalmologist.
Therefore, our recommendation is that you make an appointment with your ophthalmologist every time you have any eye symptoms or discomfort. If you do not have a trusted ophthalmologist, we urge you to come to Área Oftalmológica Avanzada, where we are specialists in the care of medical and surgical eye diseases.
