Eye Health Facts
Ever wondered why cutting onions makes you cry?
As you slice an onion, the onion cells release a gas into the air. When this gas contacts the eye, it turns into weak sulphuric acid in the moist tear layer that coats the eye. Nerve endings in the cornea react to the acid, causing the sting, and trigger the lacrimal (tear) glands to produce lots of tears in an attempt to further dilute and flush away the acid.
If onions are in water, or near running water when cut, there will be much less gas in the air, and you are less likely to start crying.
Eye Health Facts
Itchy Eyes
It's possible to get itchy eyes with a viral infection, but most commonly itchy eyes are caused by allergy - seasonal or all through the year.
Treatment for allergic conjunctivitis can take on a number of forms:
- If possible, try to identify the allergen, and minimise contact with it.
- Cold compresses can help with symptomatic relief.
- Anti-histamine eye-drops are useful for occasional allergic eye.
- Combination anti-histamine/ mast cell stabilisers work best in situations where an allergic season is well defined.
- More severe cases may require corticosteroid eyedrops to bring the inflammation under control.