Pink Eye

Pink Eye

It happens to most parents: your child wakes up in the morning with one (or two) gooey, red-eye – classic symptoms of conjunctivitis or pink eye – an inflammation of the conjunctiva (the thin membrane that covers the inner surface of the eyelid and the white part of the eyeball).  Homeopathy has long been used to safely, gently, and successfully treat pink eye. Here are a few remedies to consider if your child wakes up in this state:

Apis Mellifica: Puffy swelling of the eyelids. The eyes feel better from cold applications. Stinging, burning pain may be experienced, and the eyelids may stick together. A person who needs this remedy often feels irritable.

Argentum Nitricum: With this remedy there can be swelling of the eyelids with yellowish or pus-like discharge as well as redness of the whites and inner corners of the eyes. The person’s eyes may be tired and achy, worse from light and warmth, and better from cold compresses and fresh air. 

Belladonna: Patients needing this remedy often have intense redness of the eyes, including bloodshot appearance to the whites. There may be throbbing pain or the eye may feel hot. Bright lights and even loud noises may increase the discomfort. The patient may also have a fever. Belladonna is useful when there has been a rapid onset of symptoms.

Euphrasia: This remedy is frequently called on when the patient has symptoms that center on the eyes. There is often a large quantity of tears that burn the eye and surrounding skin. At times a greenish or whitish discharge may form with a feeling as though a foreign object, such as sand, is in the eye. There can also be a profuse bland discharge from the nose.

Hepar Sulphur: When this remedy is called for, the eyes feel sore or bruised, with inflammation and burning pain. Yellow discharge can stick the eyelids shut, especially in the morning. Warm compresses and warmth in general, often make the patient feel better. The patient is often extremely sensitivity to cold – a chilly patient – and can also be sensitive to light and noise. Irritability can also be a feature of the case.

Mercurius Solubilis: Patients needing this remedy often feel lousy and are sensitive to both heat and cold. Discharge is greenish-yellow and can irritate the lids and margins of the eyes. A person who needs this remedy often has very offensive breath and lots of salivation with thirst. There can also be eruptions around the eyes and on the lids of someone who needs this remedy.

Pulsatilla: This remedy is often called for when there is a great deal of thick, yellow, itchy discharge from the eye. The discharge generally doesn’t irritate the skin. The person needing this remedy can be needy as well as worse in a warm room. They are also often thirstless. Cool compresses applied to the eyes are often soothing. 

Sulphur: This remedy may be helpful for patients whose eyes are red with burning and itching. The whites of the eyes look red and bloodshot, and the tears feel hot. Symptoms are worse from heat.

Medicines for Pink Eye