Do eyes get affected by the common cold?

Yes, eyes do get affected by the common cold. As winters arrive, problems like bad throat and blocked nose appear as a regular affair in one’s day to day life. Apart from fever and various other physical issues, eyes get affected harshly too. It is important to take good care of your eyes during winters. The effects of cold weather on the eyes can be harsh and it is crucial to take the right steps and keep problems at bay. This blog throws light on some of the eye problems that hit eyes during the winter season, namely:

Pink Eye –

It is a very common eye condition associated with cold. Such an irritating condition, caused by viral strains, strikes without any symptom or sign. One of the chief ways how it happens is when you wipe your nose and thereafter immediately rub your eyes too, there is a chance that you will develop a pink eye. Be informed that this eye issue is contagious and spreads very quickly.

Burning and Itching –

Apart from pink eyes, people may develop issues like itching and burning in their eyes. Such problems arise due to dry eyes. It is recommended to avoid rubbing your eyes as it can lead to infection. If your one eye gets infected, then there are chances that the other eye will also get infected.

Light Sensitivity –

The common cold often leads to headache and due to headache, there are chances that eyes will become extra sensitive towards bright lights.

Eyelid Swelling –

There are chances of developing swelling in your eyelids when you have a common cold. With a condition like this, the vision may get narrowed and you may feel discomfort and pain while blinking. The swelling usually reduces after 24 hours. It is recommended to get a check-up at the earliest.

About Eye Flu

Eye flu is caused by a virus called adenovirus. It leads to corneal inflammation and may affect your vision or lead to scarring or blotches if you do not get it treated on time. This is why it is essential that you should get proper treatment at the earliest to keep any severity at bay. It is also essential to understand that there are similar conditions that seem to be conjunctivitis but they are not, such as keratitis and eyelid cellulitis. This is why it is often recommended to get a checkup done at the earliest so that the right diagnosis and treatment are done. Though, in most of the cases, eye flu clears up between 7 to 10 days, or even less. It takes more than 2 weeks to get cleared in some cases. Considering that it is a very contagious disease, it is strongly suggested to prevent spreading it by taking some precautions. You should take warm compresses and even use artificial tears. In case, you wear contact lenses, you shouldn’t wear them until the flu is gone. Disinfect your hard lenses before wearing them and do not use them until the eye flu has been completely healed. Do not wear any eye makeup when you are suffering from eye flu.

Dietary suggestion –

Eye doctors are of the opinion that you should always have a healthy diet and make sure that you keep getting eye check-ups from time to time. As per doctors and health enthusiasts, always try to eat omega-3 rich foods that can naturally help in lubricating eyes. In order to consume omega-3 fatty acids, you can have fish, flaxseeds, eggs, and walnuts, which have a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. Exercises and limitations to any drugs like nicotine and alcohol are also strongly suggested by the doctors. At the same time, it is also recommended that you should maintain the utmost eye hygiene. This can help you go a long way in having good eye health and keeping diseases at bay. At CFS, all kinds of eye issues are taken care of and treated with the right medication. CFS has been actively working towards eye care and healthy vision. The experienced doctors at Centre for Sight have time and again spoken about holistic eye care and how eye check-ups should be done at a regular level. With more than two decades of practice, CFS has always tried its best to give complete healing to people dealing with different kinds of eye problems. This winter, don’t let cold affect your eye harshly. Take care!