The north has the biggest red-eye outbreak in the past 5 years

Not only Hanoi but also neighboring provinces are under the influence of pink eye. The number of infected people increases very quickly in hot weather conditions. Doctor Hoang Cuong, Central Eye Hospital, said that during the past 5 years, there has been a large and prolonged epidemic.

Dr. Cuong is examining patients with pinkeye in the Central Eye Hospital. (Photo: Hoang Ha) This translation started from the second half of July and is now more than a month old and still very frantic. Every day at Central Eye Hospital, there are more than 200 people come to see this disease. There are days when the hospital receives 400-600 people with red-eye, accounting for 50% of patients.

Dr Huanggang said children account for about half of patients with pinkeye. Some children suffer from eye bleeding due to rubbing, tearing the pseudomembranous eye.

Hanoi's inner city is the most crowded place due to its high population density and higher level of communication, enabling the virus to spread. The neighboring provinces such as Hung Yen, Hoa Binh, Ha Tay, Hai Phong . also have many people come to see. Even the medical staff of the hospital have many people with pinkeye. The whole defense room has had this disease.

The agent of red-eye outbreaks is adeno virus, which has developed in a hot environment and is very contagious.The virus spreads through many ways such as hand-eye contact (hands rubbing eyes and grasping objects, shaking hands with others .), respiratory tract and sexually transmitted sugar . People with weak resistance and children are the most vulnerable.

Symptoms appear fast and frantic. The night of going to bed is normal, the next morning, the eyes are swollen red, rash, watery eyes, there are . According to Dr. Cuong, the patient may have earlier signs of mild fever, sore throat, swelling of the ear canal , chin . but not paying attention.

Normally, the disease starts in one eye, about 3-5 days later, it spreads to the other eye. From day 7, the disease starts mildly despite positive treatment or not and until the 10th day is gone.

The treatment is to wash the eye with physiological saline 8-10 times a day to remove the pathogen from the eye. In addition, small doses of Clorocid, Chlorophenicol are needed 4-6 times a day, especially for young children and pregnant women use Tobramycine because it is safer.

Dr. Cuong recommends not indiscriminately small drugs containing vasoconstrictor substances such as Osla, V-Rhoto (because it is easy to cause vascular inflammation, causing severe swelling and bleeding), steroids such as Polydexa, Clodexa, Nelidexa ( Although it helps patients to be comfortable, it can damage the cornea.

The patient is not allowed to boil hot oil and betel leaves because hot things meet will make the disease worse, even cause bleeding. Breathing of cool leaves such as mulberry leaves, bamboo leaves . will help ease but is not recommended because the eyes feel very bad about heat, causing danger. The Central Eye Hospital once received a case of corneal burns caused by steaming with porridge, slightly too hot without being aware.

Poor treatment or poor hygiene can also lead to complications such as dot keratitis, keratitis under the epithelium, blind corneal scar .

Preventing diseases by washing hands and washing eyes

In order to avoid red eye pain, maximum isolation should be made. People with this disease should leave school, take time off work. Dr. Cuong said, even if they were gone, they were still able to infect others for about a week. However, in fact, the isolation is very difficult; That is not to mention many people with eye pain who still go to shopping centers, entertainment, spread the epidemic quickly.

If you have been in contact with an ill person, wash your hands with soap often. Multi-touch items such as armrests, stairs, lift tables, phones . need to be cleaned regularly. Alcohol and ethylene do not kill the adeno virus, so use soap and solutions containing chlorine. If not cleaned, the virus may exist on furniture for several days.

Dr. Hoang Cuong also advised those who had not had red-eye to be subjective because this type of virus caused very short immunity, within 1 month, there were people who had the disease up to 2 times.

Thanh Nhan