How does a bath affect the eyes, symptoms
Staying in the steam room may be accompanied by:
- hyperemia of the mucous membranes - a physiological reaction to increased air temperature, as well as to the possible presence of irritating substances in the air;
- lacrimation - secretion of tear fluid - often resulting from irritation of the mucous membranes by foreign gases or dry hot air (in a Finnish sauna);
- a feeling of pain and suppuration (tears become opaque), which are often accompanied by:
- reactions to the presence of allergens in the air;
- thermal burn of the cornea;
- inflammatory processes (conjunctivitis, blepharitis, keratitis).
The purulent process is often characterized by the manifestation of a symptom complex:
- general resorptive symptoms;
- severe headaches;
- febrile or hectic (less often, subfebrile) temperature;
- eyelashes sticking together after sleep;
- profuse lacrimation;
- discharge of yellowish fluid from the eyes;
- feeling of itching.
Risks when visiting a bathhouse with conjunctivitis
But the most common cause of suppuration of the eyes after a steam bath is conjunctivitis, acquired even before going to the bathhouse. The appearance of “barley” (the popular name for the disease, associated with the visual similarity of the tumor near the eye to a barley grain) can be caused by a draft or the introduction of dirt onto the mucous membrane - by hand or even by a stale towel.
The bathhouse in this case is not the culprit for the onset of the disease, but ophthalmologists advise refraining from visiting the steam room with this diagnosis. The high air temperature in it can cause complications that will lead to the development of a pathological process in the mucous membrane of the visual organ. Due to extreme temperature conditions, the body's protective functions are reduced, which will cause a worsening of the clinical picture.
Eye diseases
If you have been diagnosed with an infectious form of eye disease, then you should not visit the bathhouse with other people, since in a confined space there is a high risk of infecting everyone around you. The infectious form of conjunctivitis is transmitted by airborne droplets. So don't assume that you won't infect other people if you don't hug them. There is also an allergic form of conjunctivitis, in which, unfortunately, you will have to forget about relaxing in the bathhouse forever. Under the influence of high temperature, allergy sufferers experience dilation of the conjunctival vessels, accompanied by pain, itching and swelling.
If a person suffers from high blood pressure, he is not recommended to visit the bathhouse, but with conjunctivitis, the health risk increases many times over.
In this case, subconjunctival hemorrhage may occur, when the entire white of the eye is literally filled with blood. Under the influence of high air temperature, a jump in blood pressure occurs, which is why fragile blood vessels can burst - this leads to such sad consequences.
You should not risk your child’s health by taking him to the bathhouse with pronounced suppuration of the eyes. The baby’s immunity is already weakened during this period. In the air filled with hot steam, the infection can spread further to the mucous membrane, which will worsen the course of the disease, and the organ of vision will begin to fester even more.
Causes of eye purulence after a bath
Increased air temperature in the steam room is the main reason for the expansion of capillaries of the skin and mucous membranes. Additional factors contributing to vasodilation are increased intraocular pressure, sweat getting into the eyes, irritation of the mucous membranes with essential oils and foreign gases contained in the air, demodicosis (infection with microscopic mites that become active when the temperature rises).
Also, the conditions of the steam room favor the activation of pathogenic microorganisms. In this regard, chronic infectious processes tend to worsen.
Dryness or burn
At very high temperatures and low humidity, a person may experience dry eyes; to correct this situation, the eyes begin to intensively secrete tear fluid and pus. Due to the high temperature, a burn can even occur, which will lead not only to tearing, but also to redness and severe pain.
To prevent these consequences it is necessary:
- Avoid dry, scalding steam, try to blink more intensely or keep your eyes half-open, but if you still feel pain, immediately leave the steam room;
- Before visiting the bath, you can instill moisturizing substances into your eyes, such as Artificial tears, Oftolik, Visin and others, but the use of these drugs can cause an allergic reaction, so it is better to consult a doctor.
Allergy
An allergic reaction is one of the most common causes of redness and suppuration of the eyes after a bath. It can be triggered by water, cosmetics that are used during bathing procedures, and much more. To avoid such a reaction you need to:
- Keep the bathhouse clean.
- Use only proven oils, shampoos and cosmetics.
- Do not drink alcoholic or carbonated drinks.
However, if these precautions do not help, be sure to consult a doctor to determine the allergen.
Toxic poisoning
Sometimes the eyes turn red, hurt and purulent discharge appears due to toxic poisoning by gases released when the insulation on the pipes is heated, if the steam room is upholstered with low-quality wood or plastic, due to the wrong stones and dubious furniture that are used in the bath.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is an infection of the conjunctiva of the eye by microbes due to poor personal hygiene, dirty water, and unsanitary conditions in the steam room. These symptoms do not appear immediately, but usually the next day. In this case, you should immediately consult a doctor. To avoid infection, it is necessary to use individual hygiene products and personal towels.
We recommend watching a short video about what conjunctivitis is:
Demodicosis
Frequent visits to saunas lead to the activation of eyelash mites, which cause demodicosis. Along with redness and suppuration, the disease is accompanied by loss of eyelashes, so if such symptoms appear after visiting a bathhouse, you should urgently consult an ophthalmologist or dermatologist.
We recommend watching a video about the treatment of demodicosis:
Treatment
After a full diagnosis, the doctor can determine the etiology of such disorders. Treatment depends on the cause of purulent diseases. These are mainly ophthalmic drops, ointments, tablets. Complex therapy consists of folk remedies. This treatment allows you to get effective results. The main treatment consists of taking medications.
Medication
In case of allergic reactions, instillation of antihistamine drops will be required. You can take Suprastin, Tavegil, Loratadine orally. To eliminate the inflammatory process, you will need to take painkillers and antibacterial drugs. If complications develop, surgical intervention will be required. In the postoperative period, the patient is prescribed preventive therapy.
If the patient has demodicosis, then treatment is carried out with the help of antiparasitic drugs. This pathology is caused by a parasitic mite. It mainly affects eyelashes. For treatment, ointments are prescribed that are applied to the eyelids. Ointments are also used to treat barley. It is important to ensure that the barley does not burst. In this case, immediate removal of pus from the eye is required. Otherwise, a severe infection may occur. In this case, it is dangerous to self-medicate. This can lead to the development of severe complications.
Traditional methods
If your eyes hurt, traditional medicine methods will help. In most cases, itching and redness cause severe discomfort to the victim. Therefore, the patient consults a doctor in time to eliminate such signs. This reduces the risk of developing severe complications.
If treatment is not treated in time, the following complications may occur:
- severe form of allergy (Quincke's edema, anaphylaxis);
- partial or complete loss of vision;
- irreversible pathological processes;
- increased intraocular pressure;
- development of glaucoma;
- erosive formations on the mucosa;
- the risk of developing infectious and bacterial lesions.
Complications arise due to untimely and incorrect treatment. In most cases, the patient himself is to blame for such consequences. When using traditional methods, the symptoms of an allergic reaction can intensify and cause a severe form of this pathology.
It is especially dangerous to self-medicate children. Diagnosis is carried out in the same ways as for adults. Treatment is determined by the doctor on an individual basis. Children may encounter such signs very often. But in childhood it is not recommended to visit the bathhouse. Traditional medicine in such cases is taken with extreme caution, after the recommendation of a doctor.
Medicines for suppuration of the eyes
When choosing a treatment method for a disease, it is important to determine its cause. If road dust has become such, sometimes it is enough to rinse your eyes with boiled water. When using cotton swabs, movements must be made from the outer edge of the eyelid to the inner. Tampons should be disposable to avoid introducing infection from the diseased eye to the healthy eye. If symptoms do not resolve within 24 hours, you should consult an ophthalmologist.
If a bacterial infection is suspected, the ophthalmologist may prescribe antibiotics (Levomycetin, Albucid, Floxal); viral - steroids (Ophthalmeron, Actipol). If the allergic nature of the disease is established, antihistamines are used. Medicines are used in the form of eye drops, ointments or tablets.
First aid
If the release of purulent fluid is associated with the negative impact of external factors, such as gas pollution or dust, then the symptoms go away on their own after a few days. But the presence of pus in the organs of vision is not always associated with a protective reaction of the body, since the cause of the phenomenon can be serious diseases. What specific pathology provoked the appearance of pus can only be determined by an ophthalmologist after conducting a full diagnostic examination. Once the cause is identified, the patient is prescribed an appropriate course of therapy.
First aid for pus discharge from the eyes
In cases where it is not possible to see a doctor, you can eliminate the unpleasant sensations yourself by providing primary care:
- rinse the affected organs of vision with boiled water at room temperature;
- Use a new, clean swab for each eye separately. This will prevent possible infection;
- during the rinsing process, the movements of the cotton swab should be directed from the outer corner of the eye;
- To enhance the effect of rinsing, you can use strongly brewed chamomile tea instead of warm water.
Chamomile tea
Performing these measures will temporarily eliminate the symptoms of the pathology, but not get rid of them completely. Therefore, if pus appears in the eyes, you should definitely visit a doctor.
Folk remedies
Must be agreed with the attending physician. Instead of boiled water, you can use decoctions and tinctures when washing your eyes to relieve inflammation.
Name of the decoction | Cooking method using boiling water | Application |
Datura | 400 ml per 3 tablespoons. Leave for 40 minutes. | For eye lotions for 10-15 minutes in the morning and evening. |
Vasilka | 200 ml per 1 tablespoon. Let it sit for several hours. | Lotions with a solution are applied to the sore spot. |
Black tea | Tea should be brewed. | A bag of brewed tea is used as a compress. Custard leaves wrapped in cheesecloth can also be used. |
Dill | 100 ml per 1 teaspoon of seeds. | For eye rinsing or lotions. |
Rosehip berries | 200 ml per 2 teaspoons. Maintain a boil for 5 minutes, then leave for half an hour. | For washing eyes. |
Calendula | 200 ml per 2 tablespoons. Leave for 60 minutes, then dissolve in boiled water in a ratio of 1:10. | |
Daisies | 300 ml for 3 tablespoons of flowers. Leave for 40 minutes. | For washing, preparing lotions or compresses. In case of immunopathological reactions, it can be taken orally. |
Eye wash
So, the following procedures will help you get rid of pus in the eyes or reduce its amount until you see a doctor:
- Rinse the eyes with warm boiled (not raw) water.
- A separate cotton swab should be used for each eye.
- To properly rinse the eye, the movement of the moistened swab should be directed from the outer corner of the eye to the inner (at the bridge of the nose).
- It would be appropriate to use Furacilin for rinsing, as well as decoctions of medicinal herbs such as chamomile, calendula, or strong black tea.
How much does Furacilin cost? Its price is low, so everyone can buy it. In tablets - from 40-80 rubles, the solution costs about 110 rubles.
Rules for visiting a steam room to help your eyes: tips and first aid
Before your first visit to the bathhouse, it is useful to consult an ophthalmologist to exclude contraindications (glaucoma, demodicosis, conjunctivitis), as well as an allergist to identify possible allergens.
In the steam room, you should blink more often and, if possible, squint your eyes to prevent the cornea from drying out. To allow the organ of vision to adapt to the elevated temperature, it is recommended to sit with your eyes closed for the first 2 minutes. For the same purpose, you can rinse your eyes with cool water and/or use moisturizing drops (Systane, Oksial), especially when the first symptoms of corneal drying appear.
To prevent sweat from getting into your eyes, it is useful to wear a bath cap or headband made of cotton or linen. The use of natural materials is desirable, since artificial materials at high temperatures can exhibit allergenic properties.
In order to prevent allergic reactions, it is not recommended to use essential flavors. If there are signs of the presence of allergens in essential oils and it is impossible to identify them, aromatherapy should be abandoned.
To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is necessary to observe personal and public hygiene measures: the steam room should be kept clean and only individual bath accessories (towels and washcloths) should be used. For hygienic purposes, you should use only a clean towel. It is advisable to make bath brooms yourself, or buy them from trusted sellers.
After leaving the bath, you need to rinse your eyes and drip Albucid into them to disinfect. In order to restore the tone of the eye muscles, massage of the eyeballs will help.
Prevention measures
In order not to encounter such an unpleasant symptom as discharge of pus from the eyes in the future, it is necessary to take a more responsible approach to the issue of choosing a sauna or bathhouse. It is recommended to visit only those establishments that maintain sanitary conditions. Particular attention should also be paid to your own hygiene. When going to the sauna, use only your own towels and other personal hygiene products.
How to avoid pus from your eyes
The same can be said about bath brooms, which many lovers of “steam rooms” regularly use. To prevent the development of various pathologies, this accessory must be made independently, using proven and high-quality materials. Brooms can also be purchased, but this should only be done from trusted sellers.
Stages of preparing a broom for a bath
By taking these preventive measures, you can prevent the development of allergic reactions and protect yourself from inflammatory processes, the appearance of which can be triggered by pathogenic microflora.
Visit your ophthalmologist regularly for preventative purposes.
Causes of pus discharge
Staying in a bathhouse is useful because at this time all the body's metabolic processes are activated and the immune system is strengthened.
The bathhouse can rightfully be called a kind of stress factor, initially relaxing the body, and then sharply affecting it with temperature fluctuations.
With regular repetition of this process, the body intensifies, as a result of which the remains of the vital activity of viruses and bacteria leave the body along with the liquid.
Eyes fester
On a note! Festering of the eyes after visiting the bathhouse is due, first of all, to the fact that foreign substances and bodies accumulating in the organs of vision begin to intensively come out. As a rule, such symptoms go away on their own, after about a couple of days.
Bath procedures cleanse the body
There are other factors that contribute to the appearance of this condition:
- different forms of conjunctivitis;
- burn of the cornea of the eye;
- the body’s reaction to bath brooms or to the effects of essential oils;
- low humidity level in the steam room.
Acute purulent conjunctivitis
A factor such as genetic predisposition cannot be ruled out. If there is an excessive accumulation of epithelial cells in the eye area, pus may also be released. This also applies to increased production of lubricating fluid.
After the bath, the eyes fester and turn red
Dry eyes
The development of a purulent process is usually accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Strong headache;
- general weakness of the body, fatigue;
- eyelashes sticking together after sleep;
- intense tearing;
- heat;
- itching in the eyes;
- Yellow fluid comes out of the eyes.
Eye with pus leaking out
If the above symptoms appear, you should seek medical help as soon as possible. Otherwise, serious complications cannot be avoided.
If the release of purulent fluid is associated with the negative impact of external factors, such as gas pollution or dust, then the symptoms go away on their own after a few days.
But the presence of pus in the organs of vision is not always associated with a protective reaction of the body, since the cause of the phenomenon can be serious diseases.
What specific pathology provoked the appearance of pus can only be determined by an ophthalmologist after conducting a full diagnostic examination. Once the cause is identified, the patient is prescribed an appropriate course of therapy.
First aid for pus discharge from the eyes
In cases where it is not possible to see a doctor, you can eliminate the unpleasant sensations yourself by providing primary care:
- rinse the affected organs of vision with boiled water at room temperature;
- Use a new, clean swab for each eye separately. This will prevent possible infection;
- during the rinsing process, the movements of the cotton swab should be directed from the outer corner of the eye;
- To enhance the effect of rinsing, you can use strongly brewed chamomile tea instead of warm water.
Chamomile tea
Performing these measures will temporarily eliminate the symptoms of the pathology, but not get rid of them completely. Therefore, if pus appears in the eyes, you should definitely visit a doctor.
Treatment methods
After conducting a diagnostic examination and determining the cause of the pathological phenomenon, the doctor prescribes a course of treatment.
As a rule, medications in the form of eye drops, ointments or tablets are used in the treatment of ophthalmic diseases. Also, during complex therapy, many patients use traditional medicine.
This allows you to achieve a better therapeutic effect. Let's consider each of these methods separately.
Pharmacy drugs
Depending on the cause of purulent discharge from the eyes, the patient is prescribed the following groups of drugs:
- antibiotics – when diagnosing a bacterial infection;
Antibiotic drops Albucid
- steroid drugs - in the treatment of viral infection. The main task of steroid drugs is to eliminate the symptoms of pathology;
- if the suppuration of the eye is caused by an allergy, then the patient is prescribed medicinal compresses and eye drops that imitate tears. In this case, it is necessary to identify the allergen in the bath, after which it is necessary to take measures to eliminate it.
Using eye drops
On a note! If treatment with the above drugs is ineffective, doctors prescribe antihistamines. Throughout the entire treatment course, regardless of the cause of suppuration, you should avoid visiting the bathhouse.
Folk remedies
As noted earlier, drug treatment can be supplemented with some traditional medicine recipes. Of course, all actions must be agreed upon with the attending physician. Below are the most common folk remedies.
Table. Traditional medicine for purulent eyes.
Product name, photo Application
Datura decoction | To prepare a medicinal decoction, you need to pour 400 ml of boiling water into 3 tbsp. l. Datura and leave for 40 minutes. Then soak a small piece of cloth in the prepared solution and make an eye lotion. The duration of the procedure is 10-15 minutes. It is recommended to apply lotions twice a day – morning and evening. |
Cornflower tincture | To prepare the tincture, add 200 ml of boiling water to 1 tbsp. l. crushed plant and leave for several hours. Moisten a folded gauze bandage or a clean handkerchief with the prepared tincture and apply to the sore spot. |
Black tea | If after visiting a sauna or bathhouse pus is released from your eyes, then compresses made from black tea will help cope with this unpleasant symptom. You can brew tea and apply the used bag to your eye. But if you only have brewed tea, then pour a small amount of brewed tea leaves into gauze and apply to your eyes for 10 minutes. |
Calendula decoction | To prepare the decoction, you need to pour 200 ml of boiling water into 2 tbsp. l. crushed plant and leave for an hour. Mix the finished product with clean water in a ratio of 1:10. Use the medicine to wash your eyes. |
Chamomile decoction | Pour 300 ml of boiling water over 3 tbsp. l. chamomile flowers and leave for 40 minutes. From the prepared medicine you can make lotions or compresses for the eyes, and if the cause of the pathology is an allergic reaction of the body, then chamomile decoction is recommended to be taken orally. |
During treatment, purulent contents may constantly come out of the eyes. It must be carefully removed using a napkin or cotton swab. Each time and for each eye you need to use a new napkin so as not to provoke the development of infection.
Prevention measures
In order not to encounter such an unpleasant symptom as discharge of pus from the eyes in the future, it is necessary to take a more responsible approach to the issue of choosing a sauna or bathhouse.
It is recommended to visit only those establishments that maintain sanitary conditions. Particular attention should also be paid to your own hygiene.
When going to the sauna, use only your own towels and other personal hygiene products.
How to avoid pus from your eyes
The same can be said about bath brooms, which many lovers of “steam rooms” regularly use. To prevent the development of various pathologies, this accessory must be made independently, using proven and high-quality materials. Brooms can also be purchased, but this should only be done from trusted sellers.
Stages of preparing a broom for a bath
By taking these preventive measures, you can prevent the development of allergic reactions and protect yourself from inflammatory processes, the appearance of which can be triggered by pathogenic microflora.
Visit your ophthalmologist regularly for preventative purposes.