'Take extra care of eyes this season'

ALLAHABAD: With hot and humid conditions already making life difficult for denizens of Sangam city, the problem of eye ailments has also reared its head to make matters worse. Because of present conditions, almost all hospitals, including MD Eye hospital, are witnessing an increase in the number of patients suffering from conjunctivitis and other eye-related ailments.
Dr Kamaljeet Singh of MD Eye hospital told TOI that summer season is a time to take extra precautions as allergic disorders of the eye often flare up during this season. This could lead to redness, irritation and watering in the eyes."Frequent rubbing of the eyes either due to itching or otherwise with unclean hands can lead to eye infections, pus formation and boils over eyelids, known as styes", he said.
This is also a time when children and adults go to swimming pools to get relief from hot conditions. However, because of poor hygiene and untreated water, it can cause allergic and infectious eye problems, said the eye expert. "Watering from the eyes due to air conditioner or air of coolers can also be a source of irritation and dryness of the eyes," he added.
Apart from this,during summer vacations,kids are not allowed to go outdoors which also leads to increase in hours of TV viewing or playing videogames etc, which could cause dryness of eyes besides eyestrain, said Dr Singh. Use of eye makeup should be avoided as far as possible, especially if there already is itching and irritation. If it must be used, it is important to remove all traces of make-up before sleeping.Care of the eyes begins at home and frequent washing of the eyes with normal water, especially after outdoor activities, washing hands frequently and being disciplined about TV viewing are small lifestyle changes that can make a significant difference. Some with disturbing dryness can benefit from lubricating eye drops, he suggested.
"I have been seeing 25-30 out of 100 cases complaining about viral conjunctivitis every day," said Dr Sanjeev Thapar, adding, "Patients include a range of age groups, from children to adults." He further maintained that prime cause behind the increase in number of cases can be humidity and hot weather conditions. Dr Thapar, however, advised that people should avoid crowded places and the sharing of toiletries. "Those travelling by public transport need to be extra careful and also ensure that they do not come in direct contact with an infected person," he added.
Deputy CMO Dr Vivek Srivastava points out, "Low temperature and wet surfaces are most suitable conditions for the bacteria and viruses that cause the infectious disease." One should not rub the eye without cleaning the hands, he advised. He further added that it has generally been noticed that people usually go for self-medication despite the fact that they don't know as to what exactly the cause behind the inflammation is. He said that people should first consult eye specialists and should also maintain good hygiene and wash hands on a regular basis.