A lot of people, especially women, love the color pink. But not when it is associated with the eye. Pink eye is a contagious infection that is generally caused by a virus, but it can also be caused by allergies and bacteria.
Pink eye or pinkeye is a term used whenever the whites of the eyes look red or pink. Most of the time, the cause is conjunctivitis, which is when the tissue covering the white of the eye (conjunctiva) is inflamed.
While pink eye is uncomfortable, the good news is that it normally goes away within 10 days even without treatment. If it is caused by a virus, it can last up to four weeks. For bacterial conjunctivitis, the problem usually doesn’t last long, especially if treated with antibiotics. Both viral and bacterial pink eye are contagious.
You can speed up the healing process without medicine using these natural treatments:
1. Holy Basil
Also known as tulsi, put some leaves of the holy basil herb in boiled water. Leave them there for 10 minutes. Take the water and use it as your natural wash for your eyes. You can also use a clean washcloth for your warm compress. The herb contains natural healing powers with its anti-inflammatory properties. You can use holy basil whether your pinkeye is caused by fungal, bacterial, or viral infection.
2. Green Tea
Use a green tea bag and dip it in boiled water. Once it’s cool enough, place on the infected eye. You can also make a cup of tea and use a clean washcloth to take some of the liquid to have a warm compress. The bioflavonoids in this drink can help relieve inflammation and irritation.
3. Colloidal Silver
This one has many benefits and it includes fast action against infection of the eye. You can apply the colloidal silver on your pink eye and it will pick up the cells electromagnetically. Later, the silver colloids will send the infected cells into the bloodstream, so they can be eliminated.
4. Breast Milk
Just place a few drops of breast milk onto the eye surface and let the liquid circulate around it. Do this three times a day for about two days or until you see the results. Breast milk has immunoglobulin A, which can help prevent bacteria that cause pinkeye from sticking to the eye’s mucosal surface.
Since pink eye is contagious, you should do your part in not spreading the infection. As much as possible, don’t touch the infected eye, including rubbing it when it is itchy. Wash your hands before and after application of your medication or even using the home treatments mentioned above.