Mumbai: Conjunctivitis cases on the rise, says BMC; asks people to take precautions

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Conjunctivitis cases are on the rise in Mumbai over the past two weeks and people must take precautions as well as timely visits to the doctor in case they experience pain or discomfort in their eyes, the civic body said on Saturday.

A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) statement said 250-300 conjunctivitis patients have been treated in the civic-run Murli Deora Eye Hospital in the last two weeks.

"When humidity in the air increases during the rainy season, the environment becomes a breeding ground for infectious diseases. Conjunctivitis, along with other ailments, spread during this time," said Dr Varsha Rokde, chief health officer of Murli Deora Eye Hospital.

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"The eye gets watery and swollen and there is discharge of sticky fluid as well. Eyes get itchy and heavy and there is intolerance to strong light," Dr Rokde explained.

The BMC statement said those afflicted with the ailment must avoid touching their eyes frequently, wash them with water repeatedly and stay from others during the infection period.

While it gets cleared in five to six days, people must avoid home remedies and visit eye specialists, the civic body said, adding that conjunctivitis medicines were freely available at its hospitals.

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