You take the time to worry about your heart and your lungs, so why wouldn't you think about your eye health? If you are like most people, it might be because you don't know that much about how to take care of your eyes. Fortunately, I have been working with other people to teach them about eye health for the past twenty years. My father lost his eyesight because of a few bad decisions, and I don't want to see other people go down that path. Read here to learn why you should exercise, eat right, and see your eye doctor regularly.
Improving Your Eye Health
Can't Open Your Eye? It Could Be Pink Eye
James Castro
Pink eye is something that's commonly spread between children, but adults aren't immune to it. Pink eye can potentially strike anyone, anywhere, as it's an extremely virulent virus. If you or someone you care about has woken up to find that their eyelids are stuck together and won't open or are very hard to open, pink eye could be to blame. Keep reading to learn more about this virus and what should be done about it.
How Pink Eye Spreads
Pink eye can be spread without even seeing another person that's actively contaminated. Unlike many other viruses, pink eye can survive for a fairly long period of time on surfaces. So if someone with pink eye rubs their eye and then touches a doorknob, you could potentially pick up that virus much later and spread it to your eye without ever seeing someone who was sick.
The best way to avoid contracting pink eye is to avoid touching your face after touching any surfaces in public. Wash your hands thoroughly and as frequently as possible, and when you can't get to a sink, keep anti-bacterial wipes with you.
How It Seals Eyes Shut
Pink eye is notorious for creating a pinkish hue in the white part of the eye, but its effects go beyond that.
Pink eye can potentially seal eyelids shut - especially when someone has been sleeping - because the infection causes tear duct discharge. This discharge is much thicker and stickier than tears. The tear duct continuously drains this discharge in order to help beat the infection, which means that it's emitted while the eye is closed. This sticky discharge can become almost glue-like overnight, sticking the upper and lower eyelids together.
What To Do
If your eyelids are stuck together, the good news is that a warm compress will help to break up the discharge. You should then be able to open your eyes. Wipe away any remaining discharge and keep a tissue box nearby to continue wiping away new discharge that's released by the tear ducts while you're awake.
From there, get to an eye doctor straight away. Pink eye can become dangerous if left untreated, and can potentially put your vision at risk. If your eye doctor believes that your case is severe, they may prescribe anti-virals to help speed up the process of your body beating the virus.
Pink eye is an unpleasant virus to acquire, and it can be especially alarming to wake up with one or both eyes sealed shut. Keep in mind that the pink eye virus mutates, so it's possible to catch it even if you've had it before. If this happens to you, keep these steps in mind and call your eye doctor right away.
For more information, contact a center such as Northwest Ophthalmology.
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