Monsoon brings thrills along with viral and bacterial infections due to the change in weather. Everyone needs to take a certain level of precaution to enjoy the beautiful weather without any health-related worry. People are aware of COVID 19 protocols, many are unaware of the protection of the eyes. Let’s know some easy and important precautions to be taken during the monsoon for protecting the eyes.

Washing the eyes - Treat your eyes with a lot of care. Wash your eyes with cold water. Don’t rub your eyes harshly after getting up or removing contact lenses as that can permanently damage the cornea.

Avoid contact lenses - Try to not wear contact lenses during monsoon. This can cause extreme dryness in the eyes and can result in redness and irritation in the eyes. Keep your specs clean and dry.

A separate towel for the face - Always keep a separate face towel, napkins, or cloth to clean your face. Don’t share your personal towel, eyeglasses, lenses with anyone else.

Use of sunglasses - Try to put on a pair of sunglasses to protect your eyes from any infectious agents like viruses and bacteria. 

Avoid going out - Avoid going to waterlogged areas as they contain a lot of viruses, bacteria, and fungus which can be very much harmful.

Eat healthy - Eat a balanced and healthy diet to keep your body healthy and immune system intact to fight any infection.

Avoid eye makeup in case you have an eye infection.

Common eye infections during monsoon

Conjunctivitis - It is the irritation or inflammation of the whites of our eyes. It is enormously contagious and spreads through with minute contact also. Although the infection goes away in a couple of days it is necessary to keep your eyes covered.

Corneal ulcer- It is an open sore on the cornea that results in pus discharge, severe pain, and blurriness of vision. It is a severe infection that can result in loss of vision and permanent blindness if not treated properly on time.

Stye – It is an infection when a red painful lump forms near the edge of the eyelid that may look like a boil or a pimple. Styes are filled with pus and can sometimes form on the inner part of the eyelid too. A Stye will start to disappear on its own in a couple of days. Applying a warm washcloth frequently will help to minimize pain and discomfort. Don’t try to pop the boil. It can cause even more complications.