Monsoon brings joy as we say goodbye to the scorching heat and welcome rain. But monsoon don’t come alone, it bring an army of infections along with, which cause eye diseases. Viral infections thrive and spread during rains due to increased moisture in the air. Eye infections come under viral infection on a large scale. Proper eye care is very important during monsoon without which your eyes can face a lot of troubles and it may lead to severe damage of your eyes.
Eyes are highly susceptible to infections in the rainy season, so prioritize personal hygiene quotient to avoid an eye infection during this season. There are certain precautions and measures following which can protect your eyes this monsoon in a long run.
- Avoid Hand-To-Eye contact:
It is very necessary to avoid Hand-Eye contact. It helps in preventing any infectious disease. Avoid rubbing your eyes with fingers as it is covered with germs that can easily transmit the infection. If you feel something is in your eyes and need to take it out, wash your hand first or use a clean handkerchief. Always make sure you wash your hands with soap whenever you return from an outing.
- Clean Eyewear:
It is important to keep your eyewear (Spectacles, Sunglasses and more importantly Contact lenses) clean during the monsoons. If you are using pouches or cloth to clean them, please clean the cloth frequently to avoid any fungal growth. Never keep the contact lenses out in the open and clean the cases frequently.
- Conjunctivitis:
This is a very common eye disease during monsoon. If someone at home is down with conjunctivitis, wash your hands after administering drops. Avoid sharing your towel and similar personal items with the infected person because it is a highly transmissible disease and infections mostly spread through hands, clothes and other commonly touched items. Avoid crowded places and swimming during epidemics of conjunctivitis. Here are some tips on curable measures of conjunctivitis:
- Use artificial tears
- Clean your eyelids with a wet cloth
- Put cold or warm compresses several times daily
- Visit an eye specialist if it continues for a prolonged period
- Avoid Water-logged Areas:
It is highly recommended to avoid waiting near waterlogged areas as bacterial infections prowl around unhygienic water. Children should given extra attention and keep them away from puddles and water-logged areas as they often like to have fun in or around such places but these places are highly bacteria prone areas and can infect their eyes. It is also vital to protect our eyes from rain splashes as they bring dirtiness which is harmful to our eyes. If accidentally rain water gets into your eyes make sure you clean it with clear water and pat dry the sides of your eyes as soon as possible.
- Avoid Wind and Dust:
This is highly recommended to avoid going out while there is wind storm. Debris in the eye can lead to various infections and can irritate the eye in general. In case if it is urgent to go out in dusty wind, use a sunglass or fake spectacle to avoid dirt from entering into your eyes.
- Be careful while choosing eye-makeup:
Rain creates soggy and moist conditions indoors and outdoors. So, be sure to store your make-up in a dry place. A dry and cool place helps avoid infections and unnecessary bacteria that could cause damage to your products and skin. It’s best to wash your brush applicators before and after every use. A special care should be given to eye make-up and its’ applicators, as it can transfer microorganisms into a product in the rainy season and cause harmful eye infections.
- Use of Medication:
People often prefer to select medicine on their own and take it from the nearest chemist. It is a big NO. One should never take medicine specially an eye medicine without consultation of a Doctor. A minimal eye problem can take you to blindness due to wrong medication. Always consult an ophthalmologist for medication. One can use Artificial Tear Drops without consulting a doctor for instant relief and curing very minimal eye infections. Some common Artificial Tear Drops are:
- Artificial Tears
- Refresh Tears
- Just Tears
- Normo Tears Eye Drop
- Tears Drops Gel
- 20-20-20 Rule:
Blinking can allow you to manage dry eyes, which is also a common problem in summer and monsoon. Drink plenty of water, and follow the 20-20-20 rule which means after every 20 minutes, you need to take a 20-second break to focus your eyes on something placed 20 feet away to relax your eyes, and calm you down. This helps a lot in maintaining a healthy eye.
- Be very careful around infected places and things:
Swimming pools and water parks are known to be the breeding grounds for bacteria and infection since the water is shared by a lot of people. In rainy season, it is a good idea to skip enjoying in public pools and water parks. Avoid them especially if an eye infection is in the season.
When it comes to internal diseases, we all become extra careful about it. But when it something related to our eye’s health, we take it very lightly. We should always take care of our eyes and some extra care during monsoons, as the moistness and humidity in the weather invite bacteria to grow. Personal hygiene should become utmost important.
