Conjunctivitis cases on rise in Chennai, say doctors

Chennai: When P. Suganthi saw her son constantly rubbing his eyes, she did not take it seriously, until he woke up the following morning with red eyes. On immediately consulting an ophthalmologist, she was told that it was an infection called conjunctivitis. Many like Suganthi, who are unaware of the infection and its symptoms, tend to ignore it until the eyes get terribly infected and the virus begins to spread to others. Doctors in the city are now reporting a spate of cases of conjunctivitis, which is usually associated with summer months.

With the temperatures now suddenly in the mid-thirties, following a pleasant winter, several residents have contracted the infection, the doctors say. “Patients were sporadically coming in. However, now, we see an approximate of six to seven cases per day. It is a rise as compared to before,” said Dr K. Sridhar at Government Opthalmic Hospital, Egmore. “It is essential that an individual with the infection or its symptoms washes his eyes with clean water at least four to five times a day,” added the doctor.

Stating that the infection is getting more resistant by the day, Dr Amar Agarwal of the Agarwal’s Eye Hospital said, “As the infection gets stronger, it takes longer to treat. The issue we need to take to the public is that if someone has conjunctivitis, he must stay indoors for at least three days to prevent the infection from spreading.” The outbreak, which used to be seasonal, is now seen more often, say doctors. “The trend in the disease is changing. Earlier, we used to see cases of conjunctivitis only in June but it is no longer seasonal,” said Dr Dhanalakshmi, an ophthalmologist.

“People travel quite frequently these days, and this is one of the ways the infection spreads rapidly,” she added. Stressing on the need to refrain from indulging in self-medication, Dr Agarwal said that doing so could make matters worse for the eye.