When you wake up with one red eye, crusty and swollen and covered with goop, there’s a good chance you’ve been hit with pink eye. Pink eye, or conjunctivitis, is a fairly common problem which can come from a contagious virus, allergies or bacteria (from your fingers, contact lenses, makeup, and so on). Luckily, pink eye often goes away in three to five days and doesn’t require treatment. Prescribed antibiotics are also available if needed, and there are some natural remedies that can soothe your eyes and expedite healing.
Apple and Potato Presses for Pink Eye
It’s a bit odd to stick a slice of apple or potato on your eye, but it is very soothing. As astringents, potatoes and apples help reduce swelling. According to https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/12/22/2149372/0/en/eyesight-max-reviews-best-vision-loss-supplement-product-review-by-mike-vaughn.html, all you have to do is cut of a piece and place it on your (closed) eye. If you prefer, you can shred it and place a mound on your eye. If you’re patient, you can give it 15 minutes (a few times a day) to work its magic.
Water and Tea for Curing Conjunctivitis
Simply rinsing your eye with water helps keep it cleaner and healthier. A cold compress reduces itching and swelling, and a warm compress soothes the eye and prevents goop from drying on the lashes. The bacteria that produce conjunctivitis don’t do well in heat, so a little warmth is a good idea. You can also add a bit of salt to make a saltwater compress or rinse, which will minimize infection. Rinse and use a compress a few times each day.
Many people swear by the “black tea bag” method, which involves rinsing your eye with black tea. Or, you can get a dropper and simply put a few drops in your eye. Others claim you simply need to stick a warm tea bag on your eye and relax for awhile. Green tea and orange pekoe have also been reported as helpful, and Herbal-Home-Remedies.com also claims that chamomile tea can reduce infection.
Honey Rinse and Healthy Food for Pink Eye
If you are very brave (and aren’t concerned about keeping your eyelashes), suggests that you can put a drop of honey directly on your eye. You can also mix warm water with honey and use it to rinse your eye. Unpasteurized honey has antibiotic properties and all honey is naturally antibacterial. You can also put the honey on your eye, perhaps mixed with tea, to soothe your pink eye. Of course, you could just drink the tea and honey instead.
Eating lots of fruits and vegetables can help your eyes heal faster, due to the vitamin A and vitamin B2 content in most fresh produce. Go for bananas, blueberries, carrots, mangoes, pumpkins, spinach and other green leafy veggies. Yogurt, butter, milk and other dairy products are also supposed to help. Sugar, starch, and fatty foods are not as effective in healing your eyes.