Two weeks ago, the Princess’ school sent out an advisory warning us that there are cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease and sore eyes in school. The Little Man had HFMD when he was just months old so we are aware of its symptoms. Unfortunately, even before I can do anything to prevent it from coming to our home, the Little Man started showing signs of HFMD that very day.
The first time he caught it, it wasn’t as bad since he just had rashes. The second time around, though, he had painful mouth sores that made it difficult for him to eat. Thankfully, because my son is a born foodie, he still ate despite the pain. He just couldn’t stop eating. LOL! Since he was eating and drinking (less than usual, but at least he’s taking in food and water), there was no need for hospital confinement.
With the help of the organic spray our pedia gave, we were able to get through the week. I thought that was the end of viral infections at home… but I was wrong.
Just a few days of being virus-free, a new virus arrived in our home. This one caused sore eyes. We were first exposed to sore eyes when my sister came home from her condo with red, itchy eyes. Since our mom works, I was tasked to help her apply the drops on her eyes.
I took every precautionary measure not to catch the virus. I would wash my hands often then apply alcohol. Still, when there is a virus in the house, sometimes you can’t really prevent it. A week after my sister came home, my eyes started to show signs of sore eyes.
It started as an uncomfortable feeling on my right eye; as if there’s something in there. I didn’t touch it at all because the number one rule is never to have contact with the eyes. I slept it off and ta da! The next morning, I woke up with a red eye with yellow-ish discharge. I contracted sore eyes.
So, what are the causes of sore eyes?
According to Eye Health Web, these are the causes of sore eyes:
- Airborne irritants such as chemicals, smoke, smog, animal dander, and pollen
Contact lens wear - Excessive rubbing of eyes
- Inflammation caused by allergens or infections
- Too much sun exposure
- Dry eyes or inadequate lubrication of eye surface
- Viral infections such as the common cold
- Blepharitis
- Pink eye
In my case, it was a mix of pink eye and the common cold. Right before my right eye started feeling weird, I was exposed to my sister and was starting to have a cold. I’d say another factor is that I’m always on the computer; hence pushing my eyes to work extra hard. Prior to getting it, I worked late at night to finish important tasks.
How to Treat Sore Eyes
Aside from the anti-infective drops prescribed by our doctor, the best treatment for my sore eyes is actually a change in my daily routine. What do I mean by that?
- I tried to get more sleep at night.
- I took a leave from work and avoided the computer. If I really needed to go online, I would take frequent “eye breaks” so as not to strain my eyes too much.
- I began drinking lots of water. I also drank green juices from Detoxify Bar to help boost my immune system.
- I’ve been eating lots of junk food in the past week so I made sure I ate a balanced diet.
- I washed my hands frequently and made sure I didn’t rub my eyes.
How can you prevent sore eyes from spreading?
It’s important to always keep your hands clean. Make it a habit to wash your hands or apply alcohol/hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available. As much as possible, try not to have contact with your eyes so avoid rubbing them with your hands because you don’t know what your hands have been exposed to. Instead, use a clean handkerchief or tissue.
If someone in your home has sore eyes, be sure to disinfect the house often. I don’t know if I am just being paranoid, but what I did is I would spray alcohol on surfaces that we usually touch–like door knobs or faucets. I always make sure to throw the trash as well to prevent infected tissue from infecting anyone else. You know how kids can get curious and dig into the trash, right?
We also immediately wash clothes, cloth towels, and the like since the virus could hang on to those items and transfer to another victim.
