Health Tips!!! How You Can Prevent Appollo – According To Expert

A medical expert in Ilorin, Dr Misbau Lawal, has
advised people to imbibe the habit of regular
hand washing to avoid contracting viral and
bacterial infection of the eye currently
spreading.

         The infection, known as ‘conjunctivitis’ in
medical parlance and ‘appollo’ in local parlance,
is inflammation of the conjunctiva, a thin, filmy
membrane that covers the white portion of the
eyes.
According to Lawal, the conjunctiva, which
produces mucous to coat and lubricate the
surface of the eye, contains fine blood vessels
that can be seen on close inspection.
Lawal advised people to keep their hands away
from the eyes and thoroughly wash hands
before and after applying eye medications on
infected children.
He explained that conjunctivitis was a common
eye problem that affected people of all age
groups and one of the most common eye
infections in children.
The physician added that the most common
cause of irritation of the eye layer was due to
allergies in the environment, which included air
pollution, smoke, pollen from trees and grass.
He also explained that when the conjunctiva
became irritated or inflamed, the blood vessels,
which supplied it, enlarged and became more
prominent, causing the eye to turn red.
According to him, symptoms include pinkness or
redness in the eye red, inflamed inner eyelids,
blurred vision, sandy or scratchy feeling in the
eye, pus, mucous, or watery discharge from the
eye.
“People who work in health care settings or with
children, have a high risk of exposure to the
viruses that can cause viral conjunctivitis,” he
warned.
He also warned against sharing of towels,
washcloth, cosmetics, or eye-drops with others,
advising those infected to seek treatment
promptly.
The expert also advised that infected small
children, who may forget these precautions, be
kept away from school, camp, and the
swimming pool, until their condition was cured.
The outbreak is prevalent among children who
mostly get infected from schools.
In some of the hospital visited in Ilorin
metropolis, many children with symptoms of
‘apollo’, were brought for medical treatment.