10 Natural Pink Eye Remedies for Fast Relief

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Lloyd (Charlotte, Nc) on 12/21/2012
★★★★★

I have contracted pink eye at least seven times in the last fifteen years. Two drops in each eye of colloidal silver twice a day for two days cured it every time. Don't use the silver for more than two days; it will start erroding some of the layer of the eye. That happened to my mother once when she overdid the use of the silver. But the tissue healed and in four or five days she no longer had the blurred vision... And the pink eye was gone. But the point is... Don't overdo the silver.... just two drops, twice a day for two days.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Soula (Berkeley, Ca Usa) on 01/06/2012
★★★★★

Cocnut Oil worked, to our surprise. Baby shampoo, tea, etc did not work but in a couple days improvement was clear and in a few everything was fine. One drop twice a day, doesn't hurt either.

Chamomile

Posted by April (Fort Myers, Florida) on 06/30/2011
★★★★★

I came down with pink eye this past Sunday. On monday I went to the doctor who gave me eye drops. By yesterday, Wednesday, my eye was only getting worse. It was practically swollen shut, though I had no goop or anything coming out of it; it was just swollen and bright red--stinging like hell. The doctor gave me different eye drops, an antibiotic, and Claritin D which all cost me $100 in prescriptions. It didn't help either.

Finally, a friend brought me chamomile tea and told me to put 2-3 drops in my eyes 3-4 times a day, as well as put the tea bag over my eye and rest with it on there. The tea bag is more effective while hot, but it can also soothe when it's cold too.

My pink eye hasn't cleared up completely but it has definitely improved a lot since I started using the tea. I later looked up "VIRAL" pink eye online to find that there are no antibiotics that can help it. When it's VIRAL it has to just take it's course. So I'm a pretty upset that although the tea has helped immensely, the doctor's allowed me to spend $400 by the end of the week for visits and prescriptions, without mentioning that none of it would help... From now on I will be coming to this web site before paying another dime to a doctor.

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Nancy (North Dakota) on 09/02/2022
★★★★★

I had woke up with my right eye goopy and red which had never happened to me before. I tried a couple of the remedies on this site (ACV & Lugols Iodine)to no avail. I read a post regarding colloidal silver, which I actually had in my arsenal of natural cures. I tried one drop in each eye in the Am and Pm for 2 days and it is nearly cleared up! Best cure for this issue for me. It didn't burn or sting and got rid of the redness so fast!

Lemon Juice With Salt

Posted by Sanjay Mehta (Ahmedabad, India) on 12/07/2018 7 posts
★★★★★

Lemon juice with added salt is the surest way to beat conjunctivitis.

Often conjunctivitis flares up in humid weather and when you move outdoors, your eyes start getting sticky which is indication of infection trying to latch in. start rinsing eyes with a glassful of water with some lemon juice added. add more if infection is more. if eyes have started to pain, add salt to the water. you will find immediate relief. repeat it every few hours. absolutely no harm to the eyes. the infection is completely cured in a day or two.

I have been successful in keeping myself free from conjuntivitis for several years now, just by following the above method. it also makes sense to wash eyes, once in a while with lemon solution to keep them clean, even with no conjunctivitis.

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Lily210123 (Michigan) on 02/09/2018

Yeah, you used way too much - one drop of 10ppm every three hours is what you do.

Black Tea Bag

Posted by Sonia (London, Uk) on 04/04/2014
★★★★★

Thank you so much for the black teabag remedy for pink eye. It has helped me so much. I simply boiled a tea bag in some water let it cool until it was warmish. Put a Cotton wool in it and cleaned my sons eye with it about every hour until the redness reduced in both eyes. And it's working so well. He's almost 2 and I needed something quick and natural to soothe his eyes. Thank you!!

Black Tea Bag

Posted by Morningstar (Winter Springs, Fl) on 04/11/2012
★★★★★

The Day before yesterday I got into a car accident and was in an orthopedic office all day taking xrays. A few hours later my eyes began to itch, I thought it was just allergies, but then I woke up My left eye was goopy and red and my right eye was plastered shut. The top eyelid on the right was swollen as well. I figured.... Crap, its conjunctivitis. Seeing that I was just sitting in a doctors office all day monday, and I don't have insurance, I did not want to go into a walk in clinic. I took a look at the natural cures on here and decided to go with the black tea because I manage to choke apple cider vinegar down for various health benifits, but I cannot imagine putting it in my eye. I heated a cup of water up on the stove and put the black tea bag into it and let it soak for a few minutes... Then I added a few ice cubes to cool it down. I took a paper towel (we use all natural ones with no dyes or anything) and ripped a corner off and soaked it in the tea. I wiped the top eyelid a few times on each eye, then the bottom lid, then I resoaked in the tea and squeezed some of the liquid into the corner of my eye, tilted my head and blinked.

Not only did it get rid of the stickyness, but after doing that 4 times within the hour the swelling in my eyelid went down completely. I went out to run errands for a few hours, then repeated the process. This morning I woke up and took a look at my eyes and they looked fine. Just to be sure, I did it one more time before work and my eyes are crystal clear, and the redness and itchyness went away. :) Im very excited that this remedy works. This is much less expensive then a trip to the walk in, and the medicine they give you makes your vision blurry for awhile anyway. With the tea, you just sort of drip in it and get on with your life. Who would have known, just wonderful!

Sea Salt

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 09/24/2024
★★★★★

Weak Eyes, Salt Water Wash for. - Some writer on weak eyes says: "Bathe your eyes night and morning in a tolerably strong solution of common table salt and water. We have known some remarkable cures effected by this simple remedy. After bathing the eyes daily for about a week, intermit a day or two; then resume the daily bathing, and so on till your eyes get strong again."

From the Book – Dr. Chase's New Receipt Book and Medical Advisor or Information for Everybody by A.W. Chase MD, page 83. 1927.

Colloidal Silver

Posted by Dia (Los Angeles, CA) on 10/26/2022
★★★★★

I read this last night, tried it this morning and my eye is already clearing up an hour later! Just a few drops and the gritty feeling is already gone. It stung for a few seconds but so worth it to not look bloodshot in my meeting later today. Thank you!

Iodine

Posted by Redducky1 (Ohio) on 06/11/2021
★★★★★

I've had pink eye 3xs in the last 6 months. Mostly due to using an old eye liner pencil. The first time I didn't know what caused it. The 2nd time I figured it out. The third time was because an eye liner ordered from Amazon may have sat in a warehouse too long.

Anyway, I've tried the Apple cider vinegar, which usually works on most maladies. But it took longer than the iodine remedy did, so I've been using the Povidone iodine. About 20 drops in 2 oz of distilled water. Wet cotton ball with the solution and wipe over eyes so that it gets into the eyes and at the root of the lashes. It doesn't hurt. It may feel odd for a few minutes. But I use it every 3 hrs for 2 days and it completely clears up the infection.

Holy Basil

Posted by Liberty (Phx, Az) on 11/25/2018
★★★★☆

I had a continually worsening eye irritation in both eyes for about 2wks. Once it progressed to continual blinking (I believe it's called blepharospasm), interference with my vision, and waking up with my eyes caked with goop, I decided to search earthclinic for a remedy. I decided on trying holy basil in my eyes, as shared by Sabiba from Morocco.

I made a tea with dry loose-leaf Holy Basil tea (Tulsi tea) and dripped it into my eyes. It stung at first, but it did bring quick relief after the initial sting. But it did not heal my eyes.

I then began to take 1000mg doses of powdered Vitamin C with vitamins and minerals added. By the 2^nd day, I knew the C was healing my eyes and the blinking had almost completely discontinued. My eyesight has cleared up as well. I will continue the vit C for a few more days, maybe 5. I'm thankful that God guided me to using the Vitamin C because the only other thing that has helped this in the past has been a trip to my homeopathic dr and taking their remedies. This has saved me about $150.

Colloidal Silver

Posted by John R. (Lithia Sp, Georgia) on 02/01/2018

The infection was greater in that eye and the cs was killing it off so fast, that is what made the reaction. it is called the herxemer effect not sure if spelling is correct. I have had this effect in different parts of my body when cs startes to kill bacteria or virus off.

ACV, Green Tea Bags, Honey

Posted by Severe Pink Eye Sufferer (Winkler, Manitoba, Canada) on 12/07/2015
★★★★★

I have been in extreme pain due to pink eye for the fourth day. The eyes themselves as well as the lids and skin around the eye are extremely affected. I started on the first day with antibiotic eye drops from the pharmacy. I used these for about a day and a half. It got even worse with these drops, it was so bad that the seeping from my eyes was orange in colour. My eyeballs were dark red... I realized that this was not working and so I bought Visine 8 symptom eye relief drops as well as a Visine antihistamine drop. I used these for the next two days with no relief except that my eyes stopped with the orange/reddish mucus seeping. But the lids and the skin around my eye were still burning with pain and I had huge sacks of liquid forming under my eyes.

I tried cool wash cloths, warm wash cloths and putting a aloe skin softener on but all of these gave me very brief periods of relief.

This morning my eyes were almost completely swollen closed and stuck shut. I was crying because of the pain. I called to speak to a pharmacist but he was not available so that's when I googled home remedies for pink eye. Holy cow am I glad I did!!!

1. First I took a cotton pad and dipped it into Apple Cider Vinegar and pressed them onto the eye so that the ACV ran into my eye. I could feel relief immediately But not for all the symptoms I was having.

2. Then I put green tea bags (which I had boiled in a cup of water and then put them in the freezer to cool) onto each eye and let the liquid run into my eyes. I did this until the tea bags weren't cold anymore. I found this to be a big relief as well.

3. Then I dipped Qtips into liquid honey and put that onto my eyelids and lashes and the skin around my eyes. This helped a lot too. It is now about 2 1/2 hours later and I can feel the sand in the eye and the burning just starting to come back. I will now repeat all three things.

I cannot even express how much this has all helped!! Unbelievable!!!! From going completely crazy in pain to almost pain free in 3 simple steps!! Thanks to everyone who posted on each of these 3 remedies!! I will continue with these remedies and post again in a day or two with the results.

Honey

Posted by Michemax (Trinidad) on 07/30/2013
★★★★★

Try washing your eye with a honey wash for pink eye. Simply add a few drops (you can add more if you want it stronger) of honey to a little warm water, stir and using the cup of your hand, blink your eye over and over in the honey wash. Repeat 3 or 4 times. Do this at least 3 or 4 times during the day. Your eye will clear up.

I often use this as I get infections from when I use my contact lens.

Boric Acid

Posted by Rob (Kentucky) on 10/08/2024
★★★★★

PINK EYE. Boric Acid Compress

This form of acute ophthalmia is similar to the one just described. It is very communicable and most probably transmits infection by a specific organism.

Weeks was the first to describe a definite micro-organism causing this disease. The Weeks bacillus is short and has rounded ends. It stains very easily with methylene blue. It is intensely contagious and spreads rapidly, especially in schools. Children under fifteen years are especially susceptible.

The diplo-bacillus of Morax was described by him in June, 1896, in the Annal de l'Institut Pasteur. The inflammation is frequently due to the presence of the diplo-bacilli. The inflammation usually begins in one eye and infects the other a few days later. Its course may be either chronic or acute. Gauze saturated with warm boric acid solution should be applied over the eye, and warmth continued by the external application of an electric pad or hot water bottle. Some cases respond better to cold applications, but these are exceptional.

From the Book: Diseases of Infancy and Childhood for Practitioners and Students in Medicine Vol 2, page 985,1928 by Louis Fischer MD

Green Tea Bags

Posted by Brad (San Rafael, Ca) on 04/26/2010
★★★★★

True enough, green tea bags do work if you've got watery, pussy, red, swollen eyes. Yea!

Here's what I did, and it worked exceptionally: brew a nice cup of hot green tea using TWO bags.........let it cool some but keep it hot, but not scalding.......go into the bathroom or use the kitchen sink when ready.

Now, take a bag in each hand and start to slowly rub the bag full of the hot brew on your closed eyes. Obviously a key part of this is that the water not be too hot BUT it should be fairly hot. When you feel it, it's going to give comfort to your bleary eyes, believe me. You are going to love the effect of the heat, and I believe that's part of the cure too - the heat. When the bags cool off some keep dipping into the hot tea again and again. Touch them to your eyes, hold them on your eyes, let them seep into your eyes.

Occasionally tilt your head to the side and run some of the liquid smack INTO your eyes. Roll your eyeball around.

That's it. It will take 24-48 hours to get rid of the pink eye, but you'll get almost instant relief. Keep doing the procedure every 2-4 hours if possible. Enjoy. This cure might be a little less humiliating than the one where you urinate into your own eye....if you're going to try that one don't let mama catch you.

Activated Charcoal

Posted by Mama To Many (Middle, Tennessee, Usa) on 06/27/2013
★★★★★

Dear Holly, I use a coffee filter to strain my charcoal water. I put 1 t. charcoal in 1/4 cup of filtered water and strain it through a filter. It is gray and may have very tiny particles that are okay. I think cheesecloth would let through particles that are too large. They probably wouldn't be harmful, just irritating.

Also, for the poultice... Your eye is closed. Then paper towel or flannel. Then moistened charcoal. Then the plastic wrap to keep the moisture in. But you probably don't need the plastic wrap unless you are doing this overnight.

For conjunctivitis, we have always just done the filtered charcoal water 3-4 times a day. Children are usually cured in a day and adults in a couple of days. But do it a couple of a times a day for a few days after and always do both eyes to prevent reinfection.

~Mama to Many~

Chamomile

Posted by Carol (Dallas, Texas) on 09/05/2008
★★★★★

Remedy: Chamomile
Cured: Viral Conjunctivitis

I bought teabags with chamomile flowers listed as the only ingredient.

I boiled around 1 cup of water, then floated the teabags in there for about 2 minutes and removed from heat.

Allowed the tea to cool until it was just warm to the inside of my wrist. Then I dipped cotton balls 1 time only per piece into the tea and used this to remove the "gunk". Next, I took the teabags while still warm and placed them over my eyes and covered them with a clean towel.

This seemed to soothe the swelling of my eyelids and dried up a lot of the discharge.

I had this condition for about 4 days and was using antibiotic drops until I went to an opthalmologist who diagnosed it as viral. That's the point where I stopped using drops and started using the teabags. I have been doing this for a day and a half and my eyes are pink instead of red with just a little discharge now, and no more swelling, pain, or itchiness. I feel like I will probably be completely over this by tomorrow.

Castor Oil

Posted by Merk (Seattle, USA) on 01/26/2008
★★★★★

I have used Castor Oil many times for treating Pink Eye, put 1-2 drops in each eye two times a day, eyes will get better with in one day but keep using for 4-5 days. Always treat both eyes. After putting in eyes they will blur some from oil but will not sting at all and will be very soothing, castor oil is antimicrobal and a very healing oil.

Coconut Oil

Posted by Art (California ) on 01/31/2018 2325 posts

In reply to Sandy (San Francisco),

I tried coconut oil for dry eyes and for me it caused more irritation than the dry eye condition. I had better luck with oral black currant seed oil and borage oil.

Studies confirm that Hyaluronic Acid in the form of drops is also effective for dry eyes.

Castor oil is helpful also, but it tended to blur my vision a little when first applied, as did coconut oil.

As far as microbes, colloidal silver is frequently mentioned on EC and the web as being useful for that, but I have never tried it for that purpose. I would think if I was going to go for a moisturizer effect with an antimicrobial effect, I might consider colloidal silver with hyaluronic acid for myself, but I like to experiment!

Art

Coffee

Posted by Prof J (Cebu, Philippines) on 10/02/2016
★★★★★

I have what I now think is pink eye. For the past 4 months my eyes have been gritty, itchy and full of white, greenish and yellowish gunk. Sometimes in the morning my eyes are stuck shut. At times the gunk is so thick it blurs my vision. Every hour or so I have to wipe it out and it strings onto the tissue. Not pleasant or pretty.

I read about your use of coffee so tried it. I made a strong cup then while it was still very warm held a wad of tissue (no cotton balls available) soaked in coffee against each closed eye. I then rinsed each eye separately with warm coffee while rolling my eyes. The coffee made the gunk turn brown and I was surprised at the amount of it that came out because my eyes were fairly clean.

Long story short is my eyes feel great now, no burning or itching, there is no gunk visible, and the whites are clear. I'll repeat this in a few hours and do so for the next few days.