18 Best Home Remedies For Treating Conjunctivitis (Pink Eyes)

Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eyes is a condition of the eyes. In this condition the membranes that cover the eyes become pink or red in color.

There is also some inflammation of the eyes which is painful and uncomfortable. A person suffering from conjunctivitis will find it difficult to open eyes completely and will be very uncomfortable opening eyes in bright light.

There are many varieties of conjunctivitis which can be either contagious or non-contagious depending on their cause. However, the most common type of conjunctivitis is the bacterial type which is contagious and spreads with epidemic proportion especially during the monsoons.

Pink eyes or conjunctivitis is successfully treated using medicines and antibiotics. But if you don’t wish to resort to medical treatments then there are some effective home remedies that you can try to treat conjunctivitis.

Home Remedies for Treating Conjunctivitis

The first and foremost step in treating the eye infection is never to rub your eyes or even touch them. The temptation to rub the eyes can be very strong during the infection but it should be avoided at all costs. You might end up causing more damage to the eyes if you rub them.

1. Wash your hands often with an anti-bacterial soap and clean water. This way if you do touch your eyes there will be less chances of any other infection spreading from your hands to your already infected eyes.

2. Do not wear eye makeup of any kind including eye liners.

3. Wash your hands immediately if you accidently touch the eyes.

4. Apply a warm or cool compress to the eyes to get rid of the inflammation. Warm compress will also soothe the eyes and bring down the irritation and redness of the eyes.

5. Wash your eyes with cold water as often as you can. Washing your eyes with eyebright will also help treat the infection. Eyebright is a herb that can be bought from any health food store or from farm markets. Prepare a concoction of eyebright by steeping a tablespoon of the herb in a cup of hot scalding water. Let the concoction cool and then strain it. You can put the eyebright solution in a spray bottle and spray your eyes with it every night until the infection disappears.

6. Take a bag of chamomile tea and put it in the fridge to cool. Apply the chamomile teabags regularly on the eyes to bring down the inflammation and the discomfort caused by the condition. Leave the bags on the eyes for 10-15 minutes. Do this treatment as often as you can until the infection starts waning. With this treatment you can expect the infection to go away within 2-3 days.

7. Conjunctivitis can be effectively treated with use of homeopathy. Pulsatilla is a homeopathic medicine that has been used in the treatment of pink eyes. The recommended dosage of these tablets is five capsules every four hours for as long as the infection lasts. However, you must also read the instructions on the bottle carefully.

8. Put one teaspoon boric powder in one cup boiling water. Allow the water to come down to a warm temperature. Soak a clean cotton cloth in the boric solution and gently squeeze it. Use this cloth for cleaning the pus from the eyes. Boric powder solution can also be splashed on the eyes to reduce irritation.

9. Take two tablespoons of ‘Triphala’ powder and add it to a cup of cool water. Wash your eyes with this solution.

Triphala is an Indian herb that can be bought from any ayurvedic store.

10. Take a handful of leaves of Indian Lilac or take two tablespoons of ‘neem’ powder. Put the leaves in boiling water and allow steeping for 5 minutes. Strain the water and throw away the leaves. Use the water to splash on eyes. The water can also be used for cleaning the eyes. If using powder then add two teaspoons of it in a cup of boiling water.

Allow to cool and then soak a clean cotton cloth in it. Squeeze the excess water from the cloth and apply it on the eyes as a compress. This will effectively bring down the swelling in the eyes and also remove the redness of the eyes.

11. Take ½ tablespoon baking soda and add it to an ounce of water. Mix well and put the solution in a spray bottle. Spray the water in your eyes to reduce inflammation and irritation.

12. Take a medium sized potato and peel it. Clean the potato under running water and then grate it. Squeeze the juice from the grated potato and collect it in a cup. Use the juice of the grated potato to bring down the inflammation of the eyes caused by conjunctivitis.

13. Boil two teabags in water for 5-7 minutes. Then allow the teabags to cool by refrigerating them. Once the teabags cool down put them directly over the eyes and leave for 10-15 minutes. Tea bags will effectively bring down the swelling brought on by the bacteria.

14. Take about two tablespoons of fennel seeds and boil them in two ounces water. Allow the fennel infusion to cool and then strain. Throw away the boiled fennel seeds and put the water in a spray bottle. Use the spray for getting rid of irritation and discomfort in the eyes.

15. Prepare eyewash for curing pink eyes using honey. Add two tablespoons of honey in a cup of warm water and splash your eyes with this water. The honey solution works well for fussy children with conjunctivitis.

16. Wash all the clothes that come in contact with your eyes in hot boiling water. This will kill infection causing bacteria present in the fabric.

17. A person suffering from conjunctivitis should be considerate towards other people and not mingle socially and stop going to the office in an attempt to contain the infection. Conjunctivitis is a contagious disease that quickly and easily spreads from one person to another.

18. Keep your towels, handkerchiefs and other clothings away from those of the others. This will reduce the chances of the infection spreading to other people.