Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Jul 27: Hospitals in different parts of Jammu division are witnessing dozens of patients complaining of irritation, redness, swelling and itching in the eyes.
Doctors said that more cases of conjunctivitis and eye flu are on rise but there is need to worry as it goes in around one-two weeks whoever gets affected but people need to take precautions.
They said it is a “self-limiting infection” and each individual immunity will have a role to play in the course of the disease.
“The monsoon’s humid and damp conditions provide an ideal breeding ground for the viruses or bacteria responsible for these infections to spread rapidly,” they said.
“This flu can infect any person of any age group and to stop the spread of the infection, touching of eyes should be avoided, especially unwashed hands,” they added.
They said that symptoms of this flu are watery discharge in the eyes, redness, congestion, photophobia, hemorrhages in the superficial layer of the eye.
Dr Sandeep an eye specialist from Jammu said that these cases are being reported in four five districts of Jammu from last one week now.
He said that eye flu is also one of the common problems experienced by people during monsoons, however, this year, more and more moisture in the air may be one of the main reasons behind it.
He said that one must maintain good hygiene which includes washing hands and avoiding touching eyes with bare or unwashed hands and one must also avoid sharing personal belongings like towels, lenses or glasses.
Whosever experiences any symptoms must visit nearest hospitals and take precautions so that it won’t spread to others, he said.
Doctors said that in most cases, eye flu is not dangerous and can be easily treated with proper care. There are over-the-counter available eye drops and anti-bacterial medications that can be taken with appropriate dosage for eye flu treatment.
However, if left untreated, severe cases of bacterial conjunctivitis may lead to complications that can affect vision, they said.
