Herbs for Conjunctivitis

/Home/Health Conditions/Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) - Alternative Remedies/Conjunctivitis - Herbal Therapy

For the most part, herbal remedies for conjunctivitis have not been extensively studied for either safety or efficacy. One herb that has a long history of use as an herbal remedy for various eye issues is the herb eyebright, or Euphrasia officinalis. A 2000 study from South Africa found eye drops made from eyebright safe and effective at alleviating the symptoms of 85% of the conjunctivitis patients studied.


On the other hand, another popular herbal remedy for "pink eye" may actually cause allergic conjunctivitis in people with a history of hay fever. Chamomile tea, an herbal product often recommended as an eye wash, can be very soothing to some people but should be used with caution (if at all) by people with allergies to plants in the Matricaria or Artemisia genera.


Perhaps the oddest herbal remedy for conjunctivitis, and one recommended by the experts at the University of Maryland Medical Center, is freshly grated potato. They recommend grating a fresh, raw potato, wrapping the potato shreds in clean cheesecloth and applying it to the eye area as a poultice.