ISLAMABAD: The onset of bitterly cold weather can not only bring about a serious case of the winter blues but also result in one picking up some nasty infections such as Pink Eye, also known in medical parlance as conjunctivitis.
Seasonal conjunctivitis occurs in cold and wet winter weather, affecting many children. To prevent infecting others, children should not attend school and avoid crowded places, Arab news reported.
Syed Shahbaz Ahmed, an ophthalmologist, said those infected often have other symptoms such as an infection of the upper respiratory tract, a cold and sore throat.
"In its most severe form, the patient can have other issues such as earache, fever and body pain. In some cases, vision is also affected." He said there is also likely to be swelling of lymph glands near the ears.
"Seasonal conjunctivitis causes intense itching and a lot of mucous discharge from the eyes.
"It is also associated with other forms of allergies such as skin eczema or breathing problems including asthma. It gets worse when the weather is either very cold or hot. Children infected suffer the most," he said.
Ahmed advised affected people not to share towels and bedding, and wash their eyes with either plain or mineral water. "They can also use sterile water to clean their eyes. Frequent eye-washing is the key to keeping the eyes clean and clear of discharge."
He said Pink Eye could be resolved within two to three days with minimum medical treatment in the majority of cases.
Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the thin transparent membrane or conjunctiva covering the eyeball. Symptoms include redness, watering and mild discharge, and swelling of the eyes and eyelids.
Comments
Comments are closed.