Posted by Elodie (Melbourne, AU) on 08/11/2014
★★★★☆
I developed conjunctivitis whilst with a nasty flu, but could not muster the energy to get to the shop to buy sea salt. so I used the himalayan salt I already had in the house (which I use for neti pot and cooking) and used about 2 tea spoons to half a cup of water - super concentrated! I dropped a few drops in the infected eye of the evening. Early next morning my eye was worse and was so crusty and gunky my lids were pursed shut. My other eye was also starting to feel a little cloudy. Immediately I repeated the same procedure but instead this time I FLUSHED each eye with the salt solution, around a quarter of a cup to each eye. End of day 2 and my eye feels 95% better, not red or swollen, a tiny bit of gunk in the tear duct but no build up of the crusty sticky gunk of the night before. I believe that himalayan rock salt (can be purchased in rock form, fine or powdered) is less drying than sea salt and actually helps to moisturize the eye. I have also read that the black form of himalayan salt is high in sulphur, which is anti bacterial, which would also be a good remedy. I do have some black himalayan salt and will try this if it returns.
Update: 8/18
ok so I discover that the himalayan salt does not get rid of the conjunctivitis, only keeps it at bay. So I reach for the green tea bags. I use organic, unbleached green tea bags. I steep in boiled spring water and remove and let cool and place over the eye lids whilst the bags are still a little warm. I also drop some of the green tea water from the bags into each eye. I leave them on for arround 10-15 minutes. I did this twice a day for 3 days and no more conjunctivitis, third day on. However now I have the problem of having intensely dry eyes, in the morning I am having to peel open my eye lids. so now on to curing my dry eye...
