The eye is one of the most sensitive organs in the human body and is extremely vulnerable to infections caused by irritants, allergens and bacteria. Any infection of the eye requires immediate medical attention as even a slight scarring can cause permanent damage to vision. A swollen eye could be caused by a variety of factors which includes conjunctivitis or pink eye as it is otherwise known as or trauma caused by an accident or abuse. While the conjunctivitis is likely to clear up in a few days, you may want to consult your ophthalmologist for antibiotic eye drops to speed up the process. Trauma to the eye will require a doctor’s advice to confirm that there is no nerve damage and this will have to be done at the earliest.
If your symptoms include swollen eyes, pain, itching, redness, stinging and a sticky discharge, take care to not touch your eyes with your hands repeatedly. This will only aggravate the infection as your hands contain a multitude of germs. Your hands have to be washed using a medicated or an antibacterial soap before you attempt any treatment for your eyes. Warm up distilled water and use a sterilized cotton swab to clean your eyes. Dispose off the swabs after each use to prevent your eyes from getting re-infected. This will reduce the pain and the inflammation to some extent and you can alternate it with a cold compress every alternate hour. The cold water compress should involve dipping a clean piece of cloth in cold distilled water and applied onto the eyes. Avoid using an ice cube as too much cold can damage the eyes as well. Avoid eye makeup and watching television or working in front of the computer as this will only strain the eyes. Take as much rest as possible, especially with your eyes closed and it would help if you were to sleep in a cool dark room. Soak two bags of tea in a bowl of hot water and leave in for about 5-6 minutes. Place the warm bags onto your eye lids so that that the tannin present in the tea relaxes your eyes and reduces the inflammation. Boil a bunch of margosa leaves in water. Dip a cotton swab into it once it becomes lukewarm and dab onto the eyes. The antibacterial properties of the leaves will protect the eyes against infection.