Home Remedies for Pinkeye

home_remedies_for_pink_eye

Many of us have had to deal with pink eye at some point in our lives, and it was definitely not something that we enjoyed. “Pinkeye” or conjunctivitis is caused by the inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the outermost layer of the eye that covers the white part of the eye. When the conjunctiva swells, it means it’s either irritated or infected. Although many people won’t treat pink eye (as it fades in 7 to 10 days) it’s highly contagious. Getting pinkeye is also a great way to tell that your immune system is weak and needs attention. Learn to fight it with some of our home remedies for pinkeye.

Most doctors will prescribe antibiotics or over the counter medications to fight this infection. But if you would like to avoid these type of medications, nature has your back! In this article, we’ll show you seven natural treatments for pink eye.

Apple Cider Vinegar

apple cider vinegar for pink eye

The acidic nature of vinegar helps in relieving the swelling and redness of the eye. The recipe is really simple. Mix 1 teaspoon of the vinegar with a cup of lukewarm water, dip a cotton ball in the mixture, squeeze the excess, and rub both of your eyelids with it. You might feel a burning sensation, but after 10 seconds or less, it fades and the relief comes on strong. If you feel you could tolerate more vinegar, add another teaspoon to the water and repeat the process after waking up and before going to bed.

Chamomile Tea and Honey

chamomile tea and honey for pink eye

This is a classic solution to pink eye. Boil water, then add a couple of chamomile tea bags to it. Pour a spoonful of honey into the chamomile tea and stir. Let it cool down and dip a clean cloth into the liquid. Wash your eyes with the liquid several times a day and try to use the chamomile tea bags as compressors for the eyes. This method is especially useful to fight the swelling related to pink eye.

Saline Solution

saline solution for pink eye

Salt is one of the greatest remedies nature has to offer, its antiseptic properties are well documented, and it can be really useful to treat infections or wounds. If you can’t go for a day to the beach, get a bottle of saline solution and use it as eye drops. You can also put it in a container and dip your eyes in the solution while blinking. Do this every 2-3 hours for around 3 days and the pink eye will soon be gone.

Coconut oil

coconut oil for pink eye

What can’t coconut oil do?? Although coconut oil won’t necessarily cure pink eye, it can surely help providing some relief and ease the symptoms. Apply two small dabs of the oil to both eyes (If you have pink eye in just one of your eyes, infection will surely spread to the other eye) and lay down for a moment while the oil does its job. Apply this method in combination with any other and your pink eye will disappear along with its symptoms.

Yogurt

yogurt for pink eye

Be sure to choose a probiotic rich yogurt, as pasteurized yogurt won’t work since there are no living bacteria in it. The beneficial bacteria in yogurt will crowd out the pathogens in the infection. Reapply every hour or two to eliminate any remaining pathogen. Also, if you’re using firm yogurt rather than liquid, don’t throw the white-ish liquid on top of the container. That liquid or whey is the most beneficial part of the yogurt.

Turmeric Powder

turmeric powder for pink eye

This Indian recipe helps with the redness and swollen eyes caused by pink eye. Take half cup of boiled water, let it cool and add a spoonful of turmeric powder along with a pinch of salt. Dip a clean cloth and squeeze the excess liquid. Put the cloth on both eyes for 20 to 30 minutes. Dispose of the used cloth and repeat 3 times a day. After a couple of days, redness should disappear.

Black Tea

black tea for pink eye

Tannins present in black tea, along with its astringent nature, helps at soothing the redness and reducing the inflammation. Brew a cup of tea and let it sit until it cools down. Remove bags from the water but don’t squeeze them. Lay don’t and place a bag in each eye for 5 to 10 minutes. squeeze it gently for a little tea puddles in the closed eyelid. Having tea inside your eye won’t hurt and can really help the healing process. Discard the bags and drink the tea.

The Bottom Line

As you can see, nature has a lot of solutions that you could use to treat pink eye. Most of them are really easy to apply and require little to no effort. Before running to your pharmacy, you might as well try one of the solutions presented above.

We hope that above remedies will be as helpful to you as they have been to us. Remember that we’re not doctors and if any of your symptoms persist, you should by all means contact a physician. Do you have any go-to remedies for pink eye? Please share in the comments below!