Holi is a colourful, joyful, and musical holiday, but the coloured powders (gulal) can irritate the eyes and cause redness and allergies. Certain artificial colours contain chemicals or particles that could cause eye irritation if they get inside the eyes. To stop more irritation, quick action is essential.
Precautions like avoiding direct contact with colours, using protective eyewear, and quickly washing your eyes if exposed are crucial for a joyful and safe celebration.
Why Can Holi Damage Your Eyes?
In the past, natural substances like turmeric, sandalwood, and floral extracts were used to make traditional Holi colours. However, a lot of colours today contain harmful chemicals, heavy metals, and synthetic dyes that can irritate eyes, cause inflammation, infections, and even cause long-term harm.
Easy Ways to Prevent Holi Colours from Hurting Your Eyes
Avoid Rubbing Your Eyes
When something gets into your eye, your first response is to rub it, but this can be harmful. Rubbing may cause more irritation, corneal scratches, or even infections by pushing the colour particles deeper into the eyes. To encourage the production of tears naturally, close your eyes and blink right away rather than rubbing. This aids in the removal of certain foreign particles.
Rinse with Water
Rinse your eyes well with cold water to safely remove the colours. For around fifteen minutes, gently let the water run over your eyes. Choose a gentle water-only method instead of harsh chemicals like soap or shampoo, which can make irritation and pain worse.
Apply Eye Drops
Use calming eye drops to moisten your eyes to relieve dryness and discomfort following colour exposure. Even after rinsing with water, this mild treatment can alleviate persistent soreness. Eye drops facilitate comfort and a speedy recovery by calming the eyes and clearing away any leftover debris.
Steer Clear of Home Remedies and, if Necessary, Seek Medical Assistance
Applying milk, rose water, or herbal extracts to the eyes is one of the common home remedies used by people. This can be risky, though, because these materials are not sterile and could introduce bacteria, raising the possibility of infection. Seek medical attention right away if your irritation doesn’t go away, your eyesight becomes impaired, or you have extreme redness or swelling. To avoid long-term issues, an eye specialist can evaluate any damage and administer the proper care.
Keep Your Eyes Safe from Additional Exposure
Take care to prevent more irritation after washing your eyes and using calming drops. If you must go outside, wear protective eyewear such goggles or sunglasses and avoid locations where colours are being thrown. The healing process can be accelerated by resting your eyes and maintaining a clean atmosphere. Take out your contact lenses right away if you wear them, and don’t use them again until your eyes feel totally normal.
