Monsoon related eye infections on rise in Chennai

CHENNAI: With the change in the weather conditions and monsoon setting in, eye related allergy and infections are seeing a rise. Doctors say that not all such eye related problems are viral infections, but some of them are caused due to change in the weather conditions, pollution, contaminated water and others.

"There are instances of eye infections due to rainwater entering the eyes that leads to redness of the eyes, pain, watering of the eyes or other problem in the conjunctiva. Some forms of allergies are also witnessed because of changes in the weather conditions as increased humidity can increase the risk of allergies, " says Dr S Namitha, director, Egmore Eye Hospital.

She added that some of these infections can spread to others because of high risk of transmission. It is important to maintain the hygiene and avoid touching eyes without washing hands, ophthalmologists say.

"People using contact lenses should be more careful and keep them clean as they can carry infections easily and cause irritation, redness of the eyes and watering. Many people don't wash their eyes if they get drenched in the rain, but pollutants mixed with rainwater can also lead to infections, " said consultant ophthalmologist Dr G Rathna.

Talking about several measures to prevent eye infections during monsoon, Dr Rathna said that washing face with clean water from time to time can prevent dirt and pollutants from entering the eyes.

"Changing lense solution from time to time keeps them clean and risk of irritants entering the eyes is lowered. Contaminated water or water in puddles should be avoided from contact with the eyes by use of glasses, " she added.