The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories

HEALTH

Eye flu increases, as monsoon retreats
Tribune Reporters

Suggestions for affected persons

They should not share towel, handkerchief, soap
A person should wear sunglasses so that the infection is not spread to others.
The eyes must be kept clean.
The person must ensure that he washes his hands, so that he does not touch any object and pass on the infection to others.
Frequent washing of eyes gives relief

Symptoms of eye flu

Redness in the eyes

Swelling of eye lids

Eyes start watering

Itching in the eyes

In rare cases the eye flu could be accompanied with mild fever

Chandigarh, August 17
With monsoons gradually retreating, patients suffering from eye flu are pouring into city hospitals. At least 15 eye flu patients approach the eye OPD at the PGI daily.

Eye specialists at the General Hospital and Government Medical College and Hospital, too confirmed that the number of eye flu cases had gone up during the last one week. A doctor at General Hospital said more than 12 cases were coming to their OPD everyday. A large number of people are approaching private clinics with complaint of eye flu.

Seeing the sudden spurt in acute viral conjunctivitis cases, the UT health authorities has advised the people afflicted with eye flu to avoid going to public places, swimming pools and shaking hands. "Children should not be sent to school till the flu has cured, while self-medication should be completely shunned," cautioned Dr Jaspal Gill, Programme Officer, National Programme for Control of Blindness.

Eye specialists point out that though a person could be afflicted with eye flu at any time of the year, but the number of cases swells up around the monsoons. “ At least 90 per cent of the eye flu cases are due to virus, which is self-recovering, whereas bacterial infection need medication,” said Prof Jagat Ram, from the Ophthalmology Department at the PGI.

Doctors point out that most of the cases are self-recovering and mild eye flu takes around five days to be cured while cases of severe infection take seven to 10 days to convalesce. However, self-medication should be avoided. Some of the patients might be suffering from bacterial infection or in one percent of the cases the cornea might be involved, which if not treated on time can adversely affect the eye vision.

The Director, Health Services, Dr C.P. Bansal, said there was no need for the public to panic.

Doctors advice that patients should keep their eyes absolutely clean by wiping off the mucus with the help of cotton soaked in boiled water In conjunctivitis oral antibiotic doesn’t help but antibiotic drops should be used as directed by the physician.

Patiala: Eye flu is taking its toll on office-goers and students here.

Eye surgeon Dr Sukhdip Singh Boparai of the Patiala Eye Hospital says one of the dreaded complication of conjunctivitis is keratitis which in layman's language means inflammation of cornea.

Dr Boparai recommended that if one is suffering from acute infection he must use disposable tissues and wear dark goggles.

The doctor further recommended that one must take rest for two to three days and should wash his hands before touching the eyes.

Another doctor Dr D.C.Bansal advises the patients not to get panicky in case they contract the virus. . He claimed that he was providing free service to those affected by the virus till September 15.

SPORTS

Yogita, Karan are best gymnasts
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, August 17
Yogita of Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26, and Karan Bahadur of ITBP ‘A’ were adjudged overall best gymnasts in the 31st Chandigarh gymnastics championship which began here today at the ITBP Gymnasium Hall, Behlana. Events for seniors were held today.

At least 250 gymnasts from 20 affiliated units are taking part in the three-day meet which is being organised by the Chandigarh Gymnastics Association.

Dr P.C. Kashyap, Regional Director in charge, northern centre, Sports Authority of India, inaugurated the meet.

Results (Senior girls):

Floor exercises: Yogita (GGSS-26) 1, Savitri (GCG-11) 2, Pinky (GGSS-26) 3, Harjeet Kaur (GGCS-26) 4.

Balancing beam: Yogita (GGSC-26) 1, Harpreet Kaur (GGSC-26) 2, Nazma (GMSSS-19) 3, Savitri (GCG-11) 4.

Vaulting horse: Yogita (GGSC-26) 1, Nazma (GMSSS-19) 2, Harpreet Kaur (GGSC-26) 3, Savitri (GCG-11) 4.

Individual all-round gymnast: Yogita (GGSC-26) 1, Nazma (GMSSS-19) 2, Harpreet Kaur (GGSC-26) 3, Pinky (GGSC-26) 4.

Senior boys: (All positions bagged by ITBP men)

Floor exercises: Karan Bahadur 1,Y. Ibomcha 2, Anil Kumar 3, Bansi Saini 4.

Vaulting horse: Karan Bahadur 1, Guropreet Singh 2, Madan Lal 3, Y.Ibomcha Singh 4.

Parallel bars: Y. Ibomcha Singh 1, Karan Bahadur 2,Vinod Bajaj 3, Gurpeeet Singh 4.

Horizontal bar: Karan Bahadur 1,Y. Ibomcha Singh 2, Gurpreet Singh 3, Anil Kumar 4.

Pomelled horse: Y. Ibomcha Singh 1, Vinod Bajaj 2, Karan Bahadur 3, Madan Lal 4.

Roman rings: Karan Bahadur 1, Somnath Das 2, Keshav Paul 3, Anil Kumar 4.

All-round best gymnast: Karan Bahadur 1, Y. Ibomcha Singh 2, Gurpeeet Singh 3, Anil Kumar 4.

Results:

Under 17 (boys): Govind (GMSSS-10) 1,Gurpreet (GMSSS-10) 2, Sumit Kumar (Sports Complex, Sector 7) 3, Sunil Chandra (Sports Complex) 4.

Pomelled horse: Sumit Kumar 1, Govind 2, Gurpeet Singh 3, Ajay Kumar 4.

Parallel bars: Govind 1, Sumit Kumar 2, Gurpeeet Singh 3, G Singh 4.

Cricket match tied

ESTESA XI and the UT Education Department XI tied their match played in the inter-institutional cricket tournament played here today at the PEC cricket grounds.

Two other matches, which were scheduled to be played between BSNL XI and Chandigarh Engineering Department XI, and PFC XI and Nestle India Limited XI could not be held due to rain. All teams were given one point each.

Brief scores: UT Education Department XI: 110 for 7 in 20 overs (Raj Paul 44, Parminder Raju 30, Rajesh 18, Vijay Bhasin 3 for 15, Amarjeet 2 for 23, M.L. Chauhan 2 for 11).

ESTESA XI: 110 for 5 in 20 overs (Vijay Bhasin 34, Mohan Singh 32, Sameer Khan 22 n.o., Hare Ram 20 n.o., Aslam 3 for 17, Parminder Raju 2 for 22).

Rahul, Ashi win cycle races
Our Sports Reporter

Chandigarh, August 17
Ashi of SD Public School, Sector 32, bagged the first place in the lap-massed-start cycle race for girls in the under-16 section of the Independence Day cycle races organised by the Chandigarh Cycling Association here today. More than 50 cyclists took part in different age groups in boys and girls sections.

In the boys under-14 section, Rahul Anand, a Class IX student of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 35, came first while his classmate Rohan Kakkar got the second place.

Mr Rakesh Mohindra, secretary of the association, said the fifth Chandigarh mountain bike championship would be held on August 31.

Results: 10-lap creterium race (boys): Ajit Singh (GGD SD College, Sector 32) 1, Ajay Trehan 2, Ankur Kaul 3.

Lap-massed-start cycle race:

Under 18: Gaurav Sagar (DAVSS, Sector 8) 1, Tejeshwar (DAVC, Sector 10) 2, Abhishek (SDPS, Sector 32) 3.

Under 14: Rahul Anand 1, Rohan Kakkar 2, Kapil 3.

Girls: under 16: Ashi 1, Amol 2, Ranvir Kaur 3.