Do you know how microbes can enter our eyes?
We know that many bacteria, virus, and fungi live in our body and on the skin surface but do you know that even the eye is an access point for many microbes? Every day our body encounters many types of microbes out of which some are good and doesn’t cause any harm while others can lead to many diseases or infections and our eyes are the most convenient entry point for many microbes.
Most often when we feel tired or itchy we rub our eyes
with our bare hands to get quick relief from pain, but this is probably doing
more damage than good. Every time we rub
our eyes with our hands we contaminate them with microbes. When these microbes are too much they may
lead to certain types of eye diseases. Wearing contact lenses for a prolonged
period of time or improper cleaning and storing of them increase the chances
for germs to invade the cornea. Any injury to the eye or surgery, or injection leads
to infection or damage in eyes of the fluid or tissue inside. Some common eye
infections are
- Conjunctivitis
- Keratitis
- Endophthalmitis
- Cellulitis
- Stye
- Blepharitis
- Uveitis
As luck would have it, our eyes have their own defense mechanism to protect themselves from foreign bodies. Our eyelashes and continuous blinking help to keep out of irritants, while tears protect eyes from debris and germs that try to reach the surface of the eye. We can protect our eyes from germs by avoiding touching our eyes as much as possible, washing hands with soap before touching them, trim nails to prevent germs from hiding under them.
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