Ludhiana: Ludhiana is witnessing a steady rise in eye flu cases, or conjunctivitis, with the highly contagious infection spreading amid the ongoing summer. Ophthalmologists at various hospitals in the city have reported increased footfall of patients complaining of redness, itching, irritation and watery discharge from the eyes.The experts attribute the rise in eye flu cases to rising temperatures, dust and pollution, poor hygiene practices, which create conducive conditions for the spread of infection.Dr Gurvinder Kaur, professor and head of department of ophthalmology at DMCH, said, “Due to seasonal change in weather and rise in temperatures, viral infections do get reactivated. We are getting 2 to 3 eye flu patients daily, and the majority of such patients are adults. Many of them get the infection at the workplace or other areas.” “Children also get eye flu. One should get eyes tested when symptoms like redness, irritation, etc appear in the eyes. Sometimes the cornea gets involved, which requires advanced treatment.”Experts suggest that many times, the whole family gets the viral infection.Dr Brijinder Singh Rana, a city-based eye surgeon, said that every day he sees 5 to 6 such patients with eye flu, of which 3 to 4 are children. He added that of the patients he gets, there are one or two parents who got infected after their children. “Among the patients are students as well. The disease is self-limiting but needs proper treatment if things get complicated,” said the eye specialist. He added that he started getting such patients since the end of last month. The experts informed that the cases are expected to rise in the coming time. “We started getting eye flu cases around 5 to 10 days ago, and as of now we get 3 to 5 such patients on a daily basis. Most of such patients are in the 30 to 50 years age group, but there are a few children as well who are 3 to 5 years old. We expect the number to rise till the rainy season if people don’t remain careful and don’t take precautions,” said Dr Nitin Batra, professor and head of ophthalmology at CMC. “Children get such infection as they don’t maintain much hygiene while playing. Even some of the hospital staff do get eye flu as they attend to such patients.” He added that they advise people to follow personal hygiene and not to rub eyes in case of irritation. Experts inform that they are also getting cases of allergic conjunctivitis. Dr Chiranjeev Singh Jhajj, eye specialist at Civil Hospital, said that of around 50 patients with eye-related problems these days, 10 to 15 are of allergic conjunctivitis. He added that allergic conjunctivitis occurs due to exposure of eyes to dust because of the wheat harvesting season, pollen exposure and intense sun.Can be added as boxes:Do’sWash hands frequently with soap and water. Keep sanitiser handy.Use a clean tissue or cotton to wipe eye discharge.Apply prescribed eye drops/medication only after consulting an eye specialist.Wear sunglasses to protect eyes from dust and sunlight.Change pillow covers, towels, etc daily.Don’ts:Do not touch or rub your eyes repeatedly.Avoid sharing towels, pillows, cosmetics or eye drops.Do not use over-the-counter eye drops without medical advice.Do not ignore symptoms like severe pain or blurred vision.Avoid crowded places if infection is active.Specific precautions for allergic conjunctivitis:Avoid exposure to sun during peak time between 12 to 3 pm.Wear protective glasses when stepping outdoors.Identify the triggers and stay away from dust, pollens, smoke, etc.Wash eyes gently with clean, cold water if irritation occurs.Use clean tissues to dab eyes.
