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Swollen Eyes Treatment

Several things can cause inflammation around the eyes, including a lack of sleep, or an infection like pink eye (which can be a viral or bacterial conjunctivitis). Allergic reactions can also cause swelling of the eyes. There exist several low-cost home remedies for swollen eyes, which are worth trying before turning to over-the-counter remedies.

  1. Hot Compress

    • A very warm water compress applied onto the eye can help a swollen eye. Just take a clean wash cloth, and make sure it is fully soaked in very warm water. Lightly squeeze out the excess water, then lay the wash cloth over the closed eye. Leave it on for at least 10 minutes. Repeat the process a few times if needed.
      Do not use warm, moist compresses for infections like pink eye, as this can allow the bacteria or virus to multiply more strongly.

    Cold Compress

    • A cold compress is good for eyes that are swollen due to allergies. Just take a clean wash cloth, and soak it with cold water. Squeeze out the excess water. Lay the wash cloth over the closed swollen eye for at least 10 minutes. Repeat as needed.

    Cucumber

    • Cool, moist cucumber slices can help swollen eyes. Cut two slices off a cucumber, and lay each slice over a closed eye. Leave it on for at least 15 minutes. This is a good treatment if the swollen eyes are from lack of sleep.

    Tea Bags

    • Take two chamomile tea bags, and put them into hot water for about a minute. Take the tea bags out of the water, and gently squeeze out the water of each tea bag. Make sure the tea bags are not too hot. Place one tea bag on each closed eye. Leave them on for at least five minutes. Chamomile tea bags are good for eyes swollen by a lack of sleep.

    Eye Drops and Eye Wash

    • Over-the-counter eye drops and eye wash help moisten the eyes and relieve swollen blood vessels.
      An eye wash is typically a light saline solution, which shrinks irritated blood vessels. These usually come with an eye bath, a small plastic cup that you hold over the eye while it is open.
      Eye drops vary by their active ingredients, which include anti-inflammatory drugs, antihistamines, topical anesthetics and so on. A pharmacist is best suited to advise which is good for your situation.

    Prescription Medication

    • If these home and over-the-counter remedies are ineffective, or if you are suffering badly from swollen eyes, a doctor might prescribe immunotherapy or prescription-strength medication. For an example, an individual might be given an allergy shot to help relieve swollen eyes and other allergy symptoms. Some other examples are prescription topical antihistamines and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) which both help swollen eyes.

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