Beware! Conjunctivitis has arrived | Health - Hindustan Times
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Beware! Conjunctivitis has arrived

Hindustan Times | ByVidya Krishnan, New Delhi
Apr 25, 2008 01:46 AM IST

The scorching sun, combined with dust and grime, has made the city conducive for infections, reports Vidya Krishnan.

The scorching sun, combined with dust and grime, has made the city conducive for infections. Ophthalmologists say that they have already started getting 2-3 patients suffering from conjunctivitis every day.

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Cases of eye flu or conjunctivitis have started coming in since the last fortnight, said Dr KPS Malik, Head of Ophthalmology, Safdarjung Hospital. "People should start taking precautions now, so that they do not fall prey to the infection. People must remember that conjunctivitis is a self-limiting infection and must avoid steroids," added Dr Malik. "There is no need to panic but the patient must immediately consult a doctor if there is pain in the cornea of a clot in the eye," he added.

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The infection manifests itself with redness in the eye, itching in the inner eyelid and discharge from the eye. Doctors prescribe antibiotic drops and artificial tears are but strongly discourage the use of steroids. It is also recommended to not share eye drops, tissues, eye-makeup, towels, clothes and bed-sheets.

What the doctor orders is to 'wait out' the eye flu. "It takes close to a week to completely recover from conjunctivitis. The infection does not spread by looking at an infected person, it spreads through contact. It is better to avoid contact with persons who are recovering from eye flu," said Professor Atul Kumar, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Wearing dark glasses, avoid touching the eye and frequently washing face with warm water will help in a speedy recovery.

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