A conjunctiva inflammation where it swells up and reddens due to some infection or irritation, conjunctivitis or pink eye is an infection of the eye, and quite contagious. It is found that pink eye takes about 8 to 10 days to go away provided good care is taken. Once you get pink eye, it shows that your immune system has gone weak somewhere. It has been noted that many people do not bother when they get pink eye; whereas there are others who take good care and get rid of it within 5 to 6 days.

Once you feel you are getting pink eye, (1) keep washing your hands or use hand sanitizer, especially when you keep touching your eyes, (2) stop touching or rubbing your eyes; it is easier said than done but you have to try doing so, and (3) do not share your face/hand towels, washcloths, or tissues with anyone, or vice versa, you do not use others’ face/hand towels, etc., as the other person would get infected.

This being said, what are the home remedies for pink eye?

• Honey is known to have very powerful antibiotic and antibacterial effects. You can either use honey on the affected eye directly, or use it as eyewash at least 7 to 8 times a day, or use it as a compress. For eyewash or compress, mix 1.5 tbs honey in 1 cup of water. Boil the mixture but keep stirring (honey should not sit down). Cool it and use it as eyewash. For compress, soak a cotton ball in it, and dab the cotton on the affected eye. You need to keep changing the cotton balls because if you keep using the same one, it would not help cure the infection.
• Warm milk is known to do the trick of curing pink eye. You can use it both as eyewash and compress (with the help of cotton balls but keep changing it—do not use the same cotton ball every time).
• Potato is known to have powerful astringent effect that also helps in reducing swellings. Cut out a slice and put it on the affected eye. Why only one eye? You can cut up two slices and put on both eyes. That way, you can save the other eye from getting infected.
• Green tea and black tea help in fighting bacterial and viral infections because they have bioflavonoids. These also help in reducing the inflammation. Take a teabag, moisten it and place it on the affected eye, or if you want, on both eyes. Make sure not to use the same teabag the second time, especially the one used on the affected eye. On the other hand, make a weak solution of green or black tea and use it as eyewash. These can be done 4 to 5 times a day.
• Mix little boric acid in water, and use it as eyewash. Boric acid is an antibacterial compound.

Whatever you do, make sure that you do not spread the infection to others.