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Your eyes are extremely delicate organs, and there are many different ailments that can affect them. There are many causes of these infections; however, the most prominent causes are bacterial and viral infections. Sometimes, such infections could also be caused due to foreign objects like dust and grime that may enter the eye. People who wear contact lenses are most prone to developing such kind of eye infections.

Different kinds of ailments attack your eyes causing eye infection. It can be due to many reasons but some of the common reasons for this infection is bacteria, viral or foreign object. It is known that people who wear contact lenses are more prone to eye infection due to presence of bacteria.

Home Remedies

Eye infection treatment largely depends on the causes of the infection. Similarly, eye infection symptoms are also largely related to the causes of the eye infection. For instance, conjunctivitis, which is one of the most common eye infections, causes the eye to turn pink or red in color. The eye infection treatment for an ailment caused by conjunctivitis may be different from the eye infection treatment for any other bacterial eye infection.

Some of the other eye infections include stye, orbital cellulitis, blepharitis, dacryocutus, and keratitis. Eye infection treatment for some of these conditions is simpler than the others. For many infections, simple home remedies might work effectively, but for others, you may need medical attention. Therefore, before you begin to try out any kind of home remedies, it is best to first check with a doctor and make sure it is not something serious.

Some common eye infections are:

Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)- It is one of the common infections which causes irritation and leads to redness of the eye. It is an air-borne disease so one has to be very careful

Stye - Medically known as hordeolum, it is a small harmless lump formed at the base of an eyelash or inside the eyelid.

Blepharitis - It is an inflammation that affects the eyelids, causes itching, burning and irritation.

Orbital Cellulitis - It is the inflammation or infection surrounding the eye. This can get very serious, like losing your eyesight if the required treatment is not provided.

Keratitis (Corneal ulcers) - This is caused due to an injury to the cornea by a foreign body.

Dacryocystitis - An infection which happens to the tear duct.

Some common sign and symptoms are:

• Redness of eye
• Yellow, green discharge
• Irritation of the eye
• Pain in the eye
• Blurred Vision
• Watery eye
• Swelling of eye
• Photophobia
• Constant itching

Other Remedies

• To get rid of stye you can use hot compresses on the swollen lump with the help of hot cloth.
• Sty/ styes can also be treated by using a tea bag soaked in warm water. Place this bag over the stye and let it stay for few minutes. This makes the sty/stye shrink to half its size due to the tannic acid present in the tea. Keep doing it even when the stye/ sty is dry.
• One can use guava leaves for people suffering with stye problem. These leaves should be warmed and kept in a damp warm cloth. This damp cloth is used as a compress to reduce the redness and the swelling.
• You can make eye drops by mixing one tsp turmeric powder in 2 cups of water. Use this at least three times a day till the swelling subsides.
• In 2 cups of water boil some acacia leaves for 5 minutes. Use this solution as a warm compress on the eyelids at least for 4-5 minutes.
• You can make a natural eye wash solution by boiling a tsp of coriander seeds in 1 cup of water. It is very good in treating sty's
• As aloe vera has great healing properties it becomes very useful in treating stye/ sty problems. Cut an aloe vera leaf and use the juicy side of the leaf on the sty.
• You can make herbal eyewashes by using 1 tsp dried eyebright herb steeped in 1 pint of boiling water. Cool and strain this liquid and use it as eyewash.
• Avoid swimming in chlorinated water.
• You can make warm compress by using chamomile, lavender or rose oil for conjunctivitis.
• Soak aloe vera juice in a cloth to be placed over your eyes to soothe them. Aloe vera juice can be used as eyewash by following similar procedure.
• To reduce inflammation and itchiness you can keep cold bread over your eyes.
• Make an elderberry blossom tea and use it as eyewash, to soothe your eyes.
• Use artificial tears to moisten your eyes, to flush out the foreign body.
• You can put honey directly in your eyes or make honey eyewash by using three tablespoons of honey in two cups of boiling water.
• For pinkeye (conjunctivitis) fill a glass jar with distilled water and in that add 7-8 Jasmine flowers. Cover it with a lid and leave it overnight. The next morning pour drops of water in your eyes with the jasmine flower. Keep repeating till your eyes get soaked. Do this at least three times a day to notice the difference.
• If you have a stye in your eye, a hot compress is the fastest way for such an eye infection treatment. Simply make a ball of cloth, heat it, and use it to apply heat on the swollen stye. This helps in improving blood circulation, allowing the stye to come to a head so that it can drain out.
• If there is a burning sensation in the eyes, try using a soaked tea bag on your eye. Simply soak two tea bags in cold water for a few seconds and then place them over your closed lids. This cools up the eyes and treats the burning sensations.
• A natural eye wash solution, which has antibacterial properties, is an excellent remedy for eye infection. Boil a spoonful of coriander seeds in a cup of water. Sieve the solution and use the water to wash your eyes.
• Make a warm aromatic compress using the essential oils of chamomile, rose oil, or lavender. Heat the compress and let the healing effects of the oils treat your eye infection.
• You can also use the therapeutic juice of aloe vera as an eye wash.

Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.