Cause and Prevention of Common External Eye Problems in Developing Countries

Eye problems can be related to:
The environment		Spread from one person to another
Dry lack of water		Fingers eye-finger-eye
Dusty lack of water		Flies eye-fly-eye
Dirty animal/human faeces (droppings)		Sharing towels eye-cloth/sheet
Diet Not enough vitamin A/ general malnutrition		Discharge on children's faces
Injury
Overexposure to UV light

Prevention Wash your face and hands to keep them clean Eat food like dark green leafy vegetables, pawpaw, carrots, tomatoes, peppers for vitamin A Keep your home and latrine clean, so flies cannot breed If any of the signs for a healthy eye are not there, go to a health worker Do not put any traditional medicines in the eye Do not dry your face with a dirty cloth or towel that someone else has used