۷ Home Remedies for Eye Infections: Do They Work

Eye infections can be uncomfortable and even painful. Without treatment, certain conditions can become serious. Several effective home remedies for eye infections can help you soothe the symptoms.

There are a number of ways your eyes can become infected or irritated. Some common eye conditions include:
• pink eye, also known as conjunctivitis
• dry eye, which occurs when your tear ducts can’t lubricate the eye properly
• blepharitis, a condition that involves the eyelid becoming inflamed and crusted.
• styes
• keratitis, an infection of the cornea

Try out the following home remedies to help relieve your symptoms.
A note of caution
Before using home remedies to treat your eyes, it’s best to consult a healthcare professional. Some eye infections can be serious.
Talk with your doctor if you think you have an eye infection. If you think your child has an eye infection, take them to a doctor instead of trying these home remedies.

۱. Artificial tears
Saltwater, or saline, is similar to teardrops, which are your eyes’ way of naturally cleansing themselves.
That said, never put a self-mixed salt solution on your eye, as this can cause damage. In addition, using store-bought saline can dry out the eye with repeated use. For this reason, using artificial tears is more appropriate.
Artificial tears can help lubricateTrusted Source the eye, cleanse out various allergens, and reduce inflammation. They are not a cure for eye infections in themselves, but using them with other home remedies may help reduce symptoms.

۲. Tea bags
Placing cooled tea bags on your eyes while they’re closed can be a way to relax and unwind. Some say that it can be an effective home treatment for eye infections.
Research shows some types of tea have anti-microbial properties. This includes:
• green teaTrusted Source
• black teaTrusted Source
• oolong tea
• fuzhuan tea

ResearchTrusted Source has also found that some herbal teas have antimicrobial properties against certain strains of bacteria, including:
• rosehip tea
• thyme tea
• wormwood tea
• mint tea
• echinacea tea
• cinnamon tea
• pomegranate tea

Because of this, using tea bags on your eyes could be an effective way to reduce swelling.
That said, there aren’t any studies that show how tea bags affect the eyes or whether they can be used to treat eye infections.
Bear in mind that while anti-inflammatory treatments can soothe the symptoms, an eye infection should be treated at the cause.

۳. Warm compress
The American Academy of Ophthalmology suggests using a warm compress to soothe the symptoms of pink eye, though they aren’t a cure.
Warm compresses might be able to soothe blepharitis, as well as styes, because they reduce the blockages that cause the stye. They can also help soothe the symptoms of dry eyeTrusted Source because they help openTrusted Source up the meibomian gland, which helps lubricate the eyes.
It’s important to note that while warm compresses might provide relief, they can’t actually cure the condition.

۴. Cold compress
Like warm compresses, cold compresses don’t exactly cure eye infections. They can, however, ease the discomfortTrusted Source associated with certain eye diseases, including allergic conjunctivitis. Cold compresses can reduce swelling in the case of eye injuries and infections
۵. Washing linens
Change and wash your towels and pillowcases daily when you have an eye infection, like conjunctivitis. Viral conjunctivitis can be extremely contagious, do not share towels or linen with others.

۶. Discarding makeup
We all know not to share eye makeup, such as mascara, eye shadow, and eyeliner, to avoid things like eye infections.
۷. Try Honey
Honey has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, which could make it an effective home remedy for eye infections.
Tips for prevention

To prevent eye infections, always use the following preventive measures:
• Avoid touching your eyes directly.
• Wash your hands frequently, especially after touching dirty surfaces.
• If you use contact lenses, always clean them and store them correctly.
• Avoid sharing eye makeup or makeup brushes with others.