Preventing Eye Infection

The secret to preventing eye infection is keeping the eye area clean.  Children need a lot of guidance to be trained to wash their hands often during the day and every time they use the bathroom.  Another important aspect to stress is to keep hands and fingers out of the eyes.

Pink eye or conjunctivitis is a common eye infection in school and day care settings.  It is extremely contagious and can spread among children like wildfire.  A sty is a painful and unsightly eye infection which starts in the eyelash follicle and causes a pus-filled pimple on the eyelid.

If you have pink eye you can try a compress soaked with barberry solution or ask your doctor for a prescription medication to fight the eye infection.  Pink eye usually responds to medication within a week, but it is very important to avoid re-infection.  Do not wear contact lenses while you have this eye infection.  Discard the lenses you were wearing when you got the eye infection.

A sty usually does not need any medical intervention and can be treated with warm compresses of chamomile.  Steep a chamomile tea bag in a cup of boiling water and let cool before using on a compress made of clean cloth.  Never try to pop the sty to expel the pus as this could be harmful and spread the eye infection.

Avoid touching or rubbing the eyes.  If you wear contacts change them regularly and use proper hygiene when doing so.  Wash your face before going to sleep at night.  Always remove cosmetics and eye makeup gently and thoroughly. All cosmetics including eye makeup have expiration dates and should be checked and discarded as required.  Discard any eye makeup that was used when you had an eye infection.   Brushes and applicators for makeup may also carry eye infection and should be discarded and replaced.

Change pillow cases often during an eye infection and make sure all pillow cases have been disinfected by washing with hot water and bleach and using a high setting in the dryer.  Other items that might carry eye infection would be eye masks, scarves and eyeglasses which should all be thoroughly cleaned before wearing again.