Your eyes are extremely valuable and yet very delicate, it is therefore of utmost importance that you take care of your eyes and get medical attention when it is needed.
Most eye complaints are minor if seen to straight away, but just for refference, here are some common conditions. If you are suffering any symptoms mentioned below or otherwise, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we will be happy to help.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, the membrane that lines the eyelid and wraps around to cover most of the white of the eye. The eyes will appear bloodshot and tearing, sometimes swollen. This often causes itching and irritation.
This condition can be caused by allergies, bacterial infection, viral infection, makeup, contact lens solutions or another physical irritant.
Conjunctivitis is VERY contagious if it is caused by a viral infection. It may start in one eye and then spread to the other. Be careful after washing and drying your face — don’t let anyone else use that towel. Make sure you wash your hands after touching or rubbing your eyes.
What to do?
Conjunctivitis that is associated with hay fever (allergies) may be treated with prescription eye drops. It is not contagious and is often worse in the morning.
If you think you have viral or bacterial conjunctivitis call your eye doctor or health care provider. Sometimes with viral conjunctivitis no prescription is given, Bacterial conjunctivitis can be treated with prescription eye drops.
Eyestrain
Eyestrain causes a dull, aching sensation around and behind the eyes that can progress into a generalized headache. It may feel painful or fatiguing to focus the eyes.
Eyestrain is commonly a result of overuse of the eyes for activities requiring close and precise focus, such as reading, embroidering, sewing or using the computer! This has become a common problem for people who work or surf the net often. It’s important to look away from the screen from time to time
What to do?
Lie down, close your eyes, place a cold compress (cold, clean, wash cloth is fine) over your eyes. Relax your eyes for at least ten minutes. Try to avoid eyestrain by taking periodic “focus breaks”. About every twenty minutes try to look away from your work and focus on something in the distance for a minute or two.
ALSO… get enough sleep, your eyes will get eyestrain easier if you are very tired. If you have severe pain with blurred vision, call an eye care professional or other professional help at once.
Stye
A stye is a bacterial infection within an oil gland on the edge of the eyelid. The sty takes on the appearance of a small pimple from being inflamed. This pimple will gradually come to a head, open and drain. Early treatment helps the sty to heal faster and prevents any complications.
What to do?
Apply a hot compress to the area for about ten minutes to help relieve discomfort and bring the sty to a head so that it can drain and then healing can begin.
In stubborn cases you may need to be treated with antibiotics, call your health care provider for further instructions or to see if he or she wants to prescribe an antibiotic for you.
Subconjunctival Haemorrhage
The conjunctiva is the thin, moist, transparent membrane that covers the white part of the eye (called the sclera) and the inside of the eyelids. The conjunctiva is the outermost protective coating of the eyeball.
The conjunctiva contains nerves and many small blood vessels. These blood vessels are usually barely visible but become larger and more visible if the eye is inflamed. These blood vessels are somewhat fragile, and their walls may break easily, resulting in a subconjunctival haemorrhage (bleeding under the conjunctiva). A subconjunctival haemorrhage appears as a bright red or dark red patch on the white of the eye.
What to do?
Call your ophthalmologist (a medical doctor who specializes in eye care and surgery) if the subconjunctival haemorrhage does not get better within two weeks or if you have had multiple subconjunctival haemorrhages.
Also, call your ophthalmologist if you have a haemorrhage in both eyes at the same time or if the subconjunctival haemorrhage coincides with other symptoms of bleeding including easy bruising, bleeding gums, or both.
Go to the accident emergency immediately if you have a subconjunctival haemorrhage symptoms and you have pain associated with the haemorrhage, changes in vision (for example, blurry vision, double vision, difficulty seeing), any history of bleeding disorders,
history of high blood pressure, or injury from trauma to the eye.
