Pinkeye increased in Hanoi

Central Eye Hospital is accepting hundreds of people every day for pinkeye, most children. Hot weather and summer activities are the main factors that can spread the disease.

Mr. Hung (25 years old, Hoang Mai, Hanoi) has suffered from pinkeye for nearly a week now. Three days ago, the second eye also became red and swollen, producing lots of water and loosened. Hung got sick from his colleagues, in his office (closing Giang Vo area), there were 6-7 people with red-eye.

Hung said that he and some other colleagues were infected because they stayed at the office at night, worked together and watched football matches in the Euro for fun, waking up some face towels in the morning.

Mai (12 years old, Thanh Xuan, Ha Noi) had a sore eye after swimming in a small swimming pool near her house, and then spread it to the maid - who stayed home all day to contact Mai most.

Dr. Huanggang, the Central Eye Hospital clinic, said that although not as loud as it was two years ago, this time, the number of people who visited for pinkeye increased significantly because they were in the season. Hot weather, dusty air creates favorable conditions for the development of bacteria, viruses that cause conjunctivitis. This is also the time when tourism and entertainment activities take place, especially for young people, increasing the chance of spreading diseases. Swimming pools are also a factor that is not guaranteed by sanitation.

Doctor of the Eye Hospital is examining the patient.(Photo: TN)

The adeno virus is a major cause of pinkeye, most spread by hand-eye contact. People who do not share each other's face towels can still spread it, because the patient's hand rubs on the eye and then grabs things like door knobs, phones, computers . Other people touch the object and then rub hands on eyes. Also in a narrow environment, poor ventilation, viruses also spread into the air and spread to people in the room.

The treatment is mainly small broad spectrum antibiotics and physiological saline. The disease usually goes away after 7-10 days. If not treated, about 12-20% of patients have complications such as corneal scratch, inflammation under the epithelium .

Even if they are gone, patients can still infect others within 1 week. Therefore, patients need maximum isolation (absent from school, work leave). Face towels should be stored separately, often washing hands with soap, limiting the handling of common objects.

Dr. Huanggang noted that patients with pinkeye should avoid some wrong treatments such as:

- Small cortisol too early when not prescribed by a doctor. This medicine can make the illness worse, persistent, or cause headaches, even leading to blindness.

- Arbitrarily use strong and expensive antibiotics (common in city people) or inject antibiotics (often in rural areas). This is unnecessary, wasting and increasing the risk of adverse reactions.

- Cauliflower of betel leaves, mint or leaves with essential oil: The eyes are inflamed, hot, the heating of the hot oil makes the disease worse. For cases that are close to being out, steaming some cool leaves, without essential oils such as bamboo leaves, mulberry leaves . can make the eyes lighten. However, this approach is also not recommended and is not really necessary.