How to Treat an Eye Infection
Eye infections are very common. An eye infection is an eye ailment that is caused by bacterial, viral, or other microbiological agents. Most people will experience an eye infection of some sort at least once in their life, or at least know of someone else who has.
Signs and Symptoms
Although the signs and symptoms of an eye infection will vary, depending on what category it falls in, the basic symptoms tend to be the same. This includes persistent itching, discomfort of the eyes, blurred vision, flaking of the eyelids, eye discharge, eye pain, swelling, and watery eyes. If you ever experience one of more of these symptoms you should of course get in to see your doctor immediately.
Treatment
The next step in dealing with an eye infection is determining the treatment that is going to be most suitable and the most effective. Antibiotics are usually the first step, and these are drugs which are used to treat infections caused by bacteria. They kill the bacteria by interfering with the formation of the cell walls or cell contents of the bacteria.
It is important to be aware that there are possible side effects that may come as a result of using antibiotics. The most common side effects of these drugs include diarrhea, fatigue, and general malaise. Fungal infections of the mouth and digestive tract may also develop, because although the antibiotics are working to kill off the bad bacteria in the body, they are also destroying some of the good, protective bacteria at the same time.
Prevention Tips
Although there is no surefire way of preventing an eye infection, there are certain things that you can do to guard yourself against developing one. Eye infections may be spread through contact with the eye drainage, as touching an infected eye leaves drainage on your hand and if you then touch your other eye or someone else's eye you can spread it.
You should wash your hands frequently to avoid developing an eye infection, especially after touching your eyes and face. You also want to avoid sharing makeup and not even using your own makeup until after the infection has cured so you will not continue to spread the infection around in your own eyes.
Avoiding exposing your eyes to contaminated water is another good idea, and you should always wear eye protection whenever you are in the wind, cold, or heat in order to prevent eye irritation.
