Properly instilled medication so that one side of the red eye does not spread to the other eye

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by an eye doctor - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital
According to the Department of Preventive Medicine - Ministry of Health, pinkeye is an eye infection, the disease usually has a sudden onset, at first only red eye on one side, then spreads to the other eye.

1. Pink eye disease usually occurs in what season?

Pink eye is very easy to catch, spreads easily in the community and causes an epidemic. There is no specific vaccine or specific treatment for the disease. People who have had pink eye and then can still become infected again after only a few months of recovery.
The main cause of pink eye is Adenovirus or caused by bacteria such as streptococcus, staphylococcus, and pneumococcus. The disease is most common in the summer to the end of autumn, when the weather changes from hot sun to heavy rain, high humidity or when the seasons change... These are the times when the human body is quite sensitive. Fatigue, weak immune system, easy to get infections.
Besides, the current smoky environment, poor sanitation, using contaminated water, sharing household items such as towels, pillows... are also favorable conditions for pain. red eye develops and breaks out into an epidemic.

2. Symptoms of pink eye usually occur first in one eye

Pink eye disease is characterized by red eyes and red eyes. Patients often have red eye pain on one side, which can then spread to the second eye. The patient feels discomfort in the eyes, is lumpy like sand in the eyes, wakes up in the morning and finds it difficult to open the eyes due to a lot of sticky residue, on the eyelids, it may be green or yellow depending on the agent. cause disease.
Swollen, edematous, succulent eyelids, red eyes (due to blood vessel engorgement), eye pain, lumps, watery eyes... Some cases of red eye have pseudomembranous (white tough membrane when turned over) You can see it when you lift your eyelids) longer than other cases. When initially bilateral pink eye, the patient may be accompanied by symptoms: fatigue, low-grade fever, sore throat, cough, and swollen glands in the ears.
Usually, people with pink eye can still see normally, vision is not impaired. However, if the disease is severe, the eyes may be red, swollen, have a membrane in the eye, hemorrhage under the conjunctiva... the consequences will be more serious.

3. Correct eye drops so that one side of the red eye does not spread to the other eye

When having pink eye, usually one eye first, the patient needs to be careful to avoid infecting the other eye.
Wash your hands with soap and check the expiry date of the medicine before applying eye drops. You should only put drops in the affected eye, tilt your head to the affected eye when instilling and pay attention to instill the medicine in the inner corner of the eye. . Do not use contact lenses for diseased eyes. Should keep eyes from the tip of the dropper bottle about 1-2cm, avoid letting the tip of the eye drop bottle touch the cornea, into the eyelid causing damage to the cornea, infection of the dropper bottle. After applying, use the middle finger to pull the lower eyelid down to evenly apply the medicine, note that after the application is complete, pull the lower eyelid down, not both small and pulled. Close your eyes for 10 seconds, then open them and start blinking. Only one drop should be applied at a time, the second drop often spills out of the eye, increasing the risk of eye infection, causing waste and reducing the effectiveness of treatment. Next, wipe the excess drops (if any) from the base of the bridge of the nose and two eyelids. Should be tilted to one side to prevent the medicine from flowing into the other eye, put eye drops and then use medical gauze to immediately wipe the discharge, discharge and tears. Wipe eyes at least twice a day with a damp tissue or cotton ball, after wiping, throw away the towel, do not reuse. Do not apply drops to the unaffected eye that is infected with pinkeye. Patients need to rest, isolate and take medicine according to the doctor's prescription. Do not arbitrarily buy eye drops, do not use other people's eye drops. Before and after cleaning the eyes, eye drops should be washed thoroughly with soap or antiseptic solution. After opening the vial, write the date of opening on the vial as the eye drops should be used within 1 month of opening. If the drug is in the form of a suspension, shake the vial well before instilling in the eyes.

4. How many times a day do you use eye drops?

With normal eye drops such as Sodium Chloride, the patient can instill 3-5 times per day. With specialized eye drops, patients should follow the doctor's prescription.
However, when you have to instill 3-4 different drugs, you should not drop them at the same time, because it will dilute the medicine and make the drug wash away first. Therefore, each medication should be instilled half an hour apart. If two types of liquid and ointment are used at the same time, it is recommended to use the liquid first, then about half an hour later to use the ointment to avoid the ointment from preventing the absorption of the liquid medicine.

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