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Claim: A Facebook user claimed that using early morning urine to wash the face cures conjunctivitis (Apollo).
Verdict: False! Available reports and medical experts do not recommend using urine as a treatment for conjunctivitis, regardless of the type.
Full Text
On Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, amid the Christmas celebration, a Facebook user, Millicent Xandercs, shared a video of her cleaning her child’s eye, which was not opening due to some discharge. According to her, her daughter woke up complaining of being unable to open her eyes.
The post’s caption reads, “My baby wakes up every morning crying that she can’t see. This has been happening to her since Christmas morning.”
Reacting to this post, many asked questions about the condition, others tried to diagnose the condition while some recommended solutions.
While most comments linked this to conjunctivitis and recommended the child be taken to the hospital, others quickly referred to solutions like cleaning the eyes with warm water.
One user, Abigail Chollom, wrote, “That is conjunctivitis—an eye infection. Please get her chloramphenicol eye drops. Is she having a cough, catarrh, rashes, or fever? If any of these are present, let me know, please.”
Another user, Naomi Le Bourne, criticised the mother’s method of cleaning the eyes and advised that she seek medical attention immediately.
She wrote, “That’s not the way to clean such eyes! They are infected! Wrong cloth, and using the same cloth on one eye and then on another is transferring the infection. This needs a doctor’s attention now!….”
However, the comment that caught our attention was Veralove Onoja’s suggestion that the mother should wash her face with the child’s morning urine.
She wrote, “This is Apolo. Her eyes will close, especially when she sleeps. Just use her early morning urine to wash her face. I had that experience when I was a child. No be everything be doctor, that is why hospital dey chops una morning. Use the natural method, and everything will go clear. Try it and see Biko.”
Seeing the nature of the issue and the alarming suggestions in the comment section that can mislead the mother and other followers in the video, DUBAWA decided to look into the issue.
Verification
What is the condition responsible for this?
We shared the video with a few medical doctors to get their opinions, and the two doctors who responded confirmed that the condition was indeed conjunctivitis, which we commonly know as Apollo.
What is Conjunctivitis (Apollo)?
Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, is the transparent membrane (conjunctiva) inflammation that lines the eyelid and eyeball. This occurs when small blood vessels in the conjunctiva become swollen and irritated, causing the whites of the eyes to appear reddish or pink. This is what led to the name pink eye.
This condition is common for people of all ages but is usually not serious and treatable. According to the Cleveland Clinic, between 15% and 40% of people experience allergic conjunctivitis because of seasonal allergies. In contrast, other types of conjunctivitis are more common in different age groups and/or at certain times of the year.
Conjunctivitis can be acute/short-term (lasting under four weeks) or chronic/long-term (lasting more than four weeks). It can affect one eye or both at the same time.
What are the symptoms of conjunctivitis?
The symptoms of Conjunctivitis include;
- Redness in one or both eyes.
- Itchiness in one or both eyes.
- A gritty feeling in one or both eyes.
- A discharge in one or both eyes forms a crust during the night that may prevent the eye or eyes from opening in the morning.
- Tearing.
- Sensitivity to light (photophobia).
- Swollen eyelids (blepharitis).
- Eye pain or discomfort.
What causes conjunctivitis?
Conjunctivitis can be caused by a viral or bacterial infection, an allergic reaction, a chemical splash in the eye, a foreign object in the eye, or, in babies, an incompletely opened tear duct.
Exposure to someone infected with the viral or bacterial form of conjunctivitis, exposure to something you’re allergic to or using contact lenses increases your risk of contracting this infection.
What are the types of conjunctivitis?
The causative factor informs the type of conjunctivitis that one is diagnosed with. For example, conjunctivitis caused by a bacteria is called bacterial conjunctivitis, while the one caused by a virus is called viral conjunctivitis.
However, there are three major types of conjunctivitis as highlighted by the DeanMcGee Eye Institute. These are bacterial conjunctivitis, viral conjunctivitis, and allergic conjunctivitis.
How can Conjunctivitis be treated?
Common conjunctivitis usually does not need treatment because most cases of conjunctivitis are not severe, and complications are rare. You just need to rely on your immune system to fight viral conjunctivitis as it clears up between a week and two weeks.
For bacterial conjunctivitis, mild cases improve between two to five days or within a week. However, for cases of conjunctivitis with complications like pain or issues seeing like the young girl in the video was experiencing, sensitivity to light, symptoms that do not improve after a week or get worse, the eye that keeps producing pus or mucus, and fever or achiness, you need to see a healthcare provider preferably an ophthalmologist or optometrist (eye doctors) for correct treatment.
Most often, antibiotic drops are prescribed to reduce the duration of infection, the possibility of infection, and the chances of spreading it to others.
However, DeanMcGee Eye Institute has listed steps to reduce the symptoms of viral and bacterial conjunctivitis. These steps include using over-the-counter lubricating eye drops and preservative-free drops to cope with the itching and burning of the eyes and resist the urge to rub them.
You can also use a cool, damp washcloth placed over the eyes to soothe the eyes and loosen dried-up mucus or pus, but this must be a clean cloth each time to avoid spreading the infection. Ibuprofen or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can also be used for pain and to reduce inflammation.
It is important to avoid what you are allergic to and use antihistamine medications (oral or eye drops) for allergic conjunctivitis. Above all, it is important to always consult your healthcare provider before using any medication.
Experts Opinion
A medical officer, Okpanachi Achile, at the Kogi State Specialist Hospital (KSSH), said the condition in the video is most likely bacterial conjunctivitis.
When told about the urine cure recommendation, he said that is what people say about Apollo treatment, but it is misleading. He also added that onions and sugar are other popular treatments he has heard of.
He, however, recommended that antibacterial eye ointment will do the work for these kinds of infections.
“Antibacterial eye ointment will do the work. Eye drops will still work, but ointment will prevent the sticking together better.”
After watching the video, another medical doctor at Garki Hospital Abuja, Sunday Idoko, confirmed conjunctivitis.
“This is conjunctivitis. It’s Apollo in layman’s language. It may be allergic conjunctivitis or bacteria, viral or parasitic conjunctivitis. This looks like bacterial conjunctivitis. I don’t know if urine does it, but even plain water will clear it.”
On the appropriate treatment, he said, “The definitive treatment is antibiotics for the eyes after culture of the organism causing it.”
Conclusion
Our findings reveal that the condition the young girl is suffering from is conjunctivitis, and using urine to wash her face is not the appropriate cure for it.
