ISLAMABAD:A panel of Doctors Sunday advised the public that prevention is better than cure and asked affected individuals with ‘Conjunctivitis’ to maintain strict hygiene practices in stemming the transmission of this highly contagious eye infection at bay.
Talking to PTV news channel, Eye Surgeon consultant Major (R) Dr Raja said that ‘conjunctivitis’ known as Pink-eye is often caused by a viral or bacterial infection or allergy, red-eye infection spreads rapidly and can survive on surfaces like doorknobs, towels, tissues etc for long.
Sharing of personal items is also not recommended when you have an eye infection, he said, adding, that there is a common misconception that eye flu can spread just by looking into someone’s eyes but it is not entirely true.
The eye infection can only spread when you touch your eyes after coming into contact with the infected person’s eye secretions, he added.
Replying a question, a senior eye specialist Dr Iqra Aftab said that the most concerning signs of eye flu include severe eye pain, drop in vision and increased redness spreading around the cornea.
She added that to reduce the risk of infection we strongly recommended to maintain proper eye hygiene, including regular washing with clean water, protection from intense sunlight, and shielding from dust and dirt.
She mentioned that all government-run hospitals are “on alert” to deal with cases of Conjunctivitis or pink eye infections and vector-borne diseases like dengue virus.
Eye Specialist Dr Kouser Majeed said that infected people should maintain strict practices and keep their regular items such as towels and toiletries separate from others.