The foremost precautionary step involves eradicating the root cause of the ailment. Since both bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are caused by airborne sources, it’s extremely significant to contain the disease from spreading to others. Avoid the use of contaminated hand towels. Make sure that towels, washcloths and pillows are not shared with anyone else at home or even in a public environment. Also, stay away from sharing eye drops or cosmetics with others.

In order to prevent allergic conjunctivitis, keep the surroundings hygienic and germ free. Vacuum and dust your home at regular intervals to get rid of allergens that might be present. If you are exposed to fumes, smoke or chemicals of any sort, try to stay in areas that are well ventilated and help you inhale fresh and clean air. At the same time, keep your doors and windows closed during the day since airborne pollen count is always high during the sunlight hours. If you are a swimmer, wear protective swim goggles as they help avoid eye exposure to chlorinated water in pools.

The common preventive measure of washing hands is another way to keep the ailment at bay. Make sure you rinse your hands well before and after touching your face or eyes. However, do not touch your eyes with unclean hands even during the infection as this may increase the infection, and cause irritation and redness to your eye. Also, if you are using any eye drops etc, then do not touch the nozzle of the dropper.

If you have caught conjunctivitis or are in close contact with anyone who is suffering from pink eye, avoid sharing contact lens containers, equipment and lens cleaning solutions. Stay away from using contact lenses until the infection is cured and ascertain that the contact lenses have been cleansed thoroughly before their next use.

As conjunctivitis spreads easily and instantly, do not share your eye medicines, be it prescription or non-prescription ones. Although some people hold an opinion that rinsing their equipment will get rid of the bacteria, the truth is that the bacteria does not go away so easily. Beside eye medicines, you need to make certain that your eye makeup is not shared with anyone else. Also, do not use testers at stores since they are likely to be home to infections and bacteria. Avoid recurrence of conjunctivitis by changing your pillowcases pretty often, not reusing towels and handkerchiefs, and washing towels and linens every day.

Ensure that your eyes remain relaxed whilst reading. Perform some eye relaxing exercises and stop reading occasionally to let your eyes rest. You can even close your eyes for a couple of minutes and then open them widely. This will help avoid strain and irritation to the eyes.

When working on a computer, ensure that you are rest your eyes at regular intervals. Indulge in some eye exercises and do not force your vision by trying to read a text which is too small.

Not many would realize the significance, but one should always read in places with good light. If possible, then prefer natural light. Fluorescent lights should be avoided as much as possible. To provide an insight, fluorescent lights tend to generate a continuous vibration which can irritate your eyes to a considerable extent.

Lastly, take care of your meals and diet with foods that are rich in vitamins A, B and C. Also, your diet should be rich in essential fatty acids and zinc. However, stay away from consuming tobacco, alcohol and other toxins that may actually worsen the situation and make you vulnerable to diseases and infections.