What to do with a grain of barley
Since a barley grain is an infectious inflammation, it is important to proceed with the utmost cleanliness.
Hands off and let it mature
The barleycorn: However, it is still true that it is best to leave it alone. If the barleycorn can mature in peace and then break open on its own (usually after 4-6 days), it usually remains harmless and heals without complications.
- Hurts,
- Burns or itches often.
General information
However, if one tries to advance the process by, for example: the pus can, in the worst case, pour into the tissue. Especially children, who also get barley grains much more often than adults, find it very difficult to leave the annoying, aching “pimple” on the eye alone. By manipulating the barley grain, however, the pus bacteria can get into the bloodstream and then be carried further into the inside of the skull by the bloodstream, since the eyelids and the brain are directly connected in the bloodstream. A purulent meningitis can thus be a life-threatening consequence of the “attack” on the barleycorn.
- Press,
- Squeeze,
- Scratch or rub,
Dry heat and ointments
The barleycorn can be treated with disinfectant or antibiotic eye ointments/drops that reduce swelling and allow the inflammation to heal. Dry heat (e.g. red light) additionally helps to dissolve or accelerate the outbreak of pus and can thus accelerate the healing of the barleycorn.
Home remedy for use with barley grain
Since the barley grain is a bacterial infection, it is important to clean the eye and prevent the spread of bacteria. Therefore it is first of all very important to wash and dry the hands very thoroughly before contact with the eyes. In order to then loosen adhesions and crusts, olive oil is helpful by applying it on a compress and thus loosening the crusts.
A saline solution helps to rinse off the loosened crusts. In any case it is important that the active ingredients used do not get into the eye! Many household remedies have an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, including witch hazel, juniper oil, tea tree oil, lavender oil, calendula and neem oil.
With these substances it is important that they are only to be used in a highly diluted form and applied to the eye with a compress. To reduce the swelling of the barley grain, cold compresses soaked in fennel, chamomile or witch hazel can be used. In addition, eyebright (Euphrasia) is helpful from which tea can be made, which is placed over a compress or a linen cloth for half an hour on the diseased side.
In addition, the light and warmth of the red light lamp is beneficial for a barleycorn, as the heat accelerates the healing process and dries out the bacteria. Since the barleycorn is harmless in itself, a visit to the doctor is not absolutely necessary for a single barleycorn. Often, however, barley grains tend to reappear (recurrences) and should therefore be treated correctly (see above).
A treatment with red light, disinfectant ointment from the pharmacy and also homeopathy can be carried out with a single barleycorn. However, the advice of an ophthalmologist should be obtained from Likewise, antibiotic ointments or eye drops are only available on prescription from an ophthalmologist, e.g. Floxal eye ointment.
- Uncertainty,
- Increased size increase or
- Severe pain.
