HPA advises precautions against conjunctivitis

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has advised people to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of conjunctivitis.

Conjunctivitis or pink eye is the inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane that lines your eyelid and eyeball, caused by a virus or bacteria.

A spokesperson from HPA told Sun on Thursday that conjunctivitis is common in the Maldives, with medical facilities registering cases of conjunctivitis each month.

“It is therefore important to take precautionary measures and to also identify the symptoms,” said the spokesperson.

In a post on X on Thursday morning, HPA urged the public to take precautionary measures including to:

• Frequently wash hands wish soap
• Clean things and areas that come into frequent contact
• Avoid touching or rubbing eyes
• Safely dispose of used tissues and other such items
• Do not share eye medicine used by people with conjunctivitis

HPA urged people who show symptoms of conjunctivitis to seek professional medical help as soon as possible.

The symptoms of conjunctivitis include:

• Fever
• Redness in one or both eyes.
• Itchiness in one or both eyes
• A gritty feeling in one or both eyes.
• A discharge in one or both eyes that forms a crust during the night that may prevent your eye or eyes from opening in the morning
• Tearing
• Sensitivity to light

Conjunctivitis is highly contagious.