Corneal epithelial damage due to lemon drops used to treat eye pain

NDO - Seeing that her grandchild KLP (2 years old) often had red, itchy eyes, her grandmother followed the folk remedy of dropping lemon juice to clean her child's eyes. As a result, the child had to be hospitalized due to corneal epithelial damage.

More illnesses due to the trend of believing that lemon juice can cure sore eyes and sinusitis

After dropping about 2-3 drops of pure lemon juice into the left eye, the grandmother saw the baby crying, with burning pain and tears flowing continuously. Although she quickly washed the baby's eyes with saline, the baby's symptoms did not improve.

After returning from work, seeing the baby's uncomfortable symptoms, baby P's parents rushed to take their child to Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Through clinical examination, specialist doctor I Nguyen Duc Huy, High-Tech Eye Center, Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, found the eyelids slightly swollen, the conjunctiva red (diffuse conjunctival congestion).

"We used a slit lamp and found corneal epithelial damage and scattered epithelial sloughing. We diagnosed the baby with acute keratoconjunctivitis due to chemical irritation (acid from lemon juice), corneal epithelial damage," said Dr. Huy.

Dr. Huy said that lemon juice contains citric acid, which can damage the body's cells and cause acid burns. If dropped into the eyes, it will directly damage the cornea, risking ulcers, especially in young children, and can cause corneal scarring and even corneal perforation, leading to permanent blindness.

“A few years ago, we also saw a natural trend of using colostrum to wash the eyes of young children. There was a case of a child with a total corneal opacity. When he went to see a doctor, his eyes were almost beyond recovery, almost completely blind,” said Dr. Huy.

Dr. Huy is explaining the eye anatomy to the baby's parents.

Also hearing information online, Ms. MK (27 years old, Tien Giang ) tried to treat sinus by dropping 3 drops of pure lemon juice into her nose every morning.

The first two days, when she put lemon in her nose, she felt extremely sore and irritated, and her nasal mucosa did not have a runny nose like many other people. She went to a social media group to ask for more advice and was instructed to add more drops and increase the frequency.

"I continued to do it but then felt my nose burning, swelling, pain, feeling hot, uncomfortable in my nose, runny nose constantly, fatigue, insomnia, exhaustion. Even though I stopped after a week of trying lemon juice, the uncomfortable symptoms did not improve, there was still green pus so I went to see a doctor," MK shared.

The patient came to Tam Anh General Hospital Clinic, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City with swollen, burning nasal mucosa; runny nose, prolonged nasal congestion.

Master, Specialist Doctor I Truong Tan Phat, Head of the ENT Unit, said that through clinical examination and nasopharyngeal endoscopy, the doctor noted that the mucosal surface had many areas of slight sliding lesions, signs of frequent contact with irritants (acid from lemon); a lot of mucus, green-yellow pus. The sinus openings were swollen, blocked, obstructing sinus drainage, showing signs of ethmoid sinusitis and maxillary sinusitis on both sides.

"When sinusitis is chronic, the nasal mucosa is weak. Continuously dropping pure lemon juice with high acidity directly into the nose will strongly irritate the mucosa, leading to edema, surface damage and loss of self-protection. If not treated early, the patient may experience more dangerous complications such as sinusitis with orbital complications or meningitis," said Dr. Phat.

The acid from lemon can cause burns, swelling, and mucosal obstruction.

According to Dr. Phat, the nasal and throat mucosa is very thin and sensitive, the acid from lemon can cause burns, swelling, and mucosal congestion; if it is inflamed, it can make the inflammation worse.

If you have allergic rhinitis or sinusitis, applying lemon juice will not only not cure the disease but also cause severe irritation, making the disease last longer. In many cases, patients see "fluid flowing out" when applying lemon juice, which is effective, but it is an inflammatory reaction due to irritated mucous membranes; or in some cases, the disease does not improve but becomes more severe. The nasal mucosa in children is not fully developed, and is more prone to congestion and edema than in adults.

Dr. Phat said that an acidic environment also changes the natural microflora. Both the eyes, nose and ears have a balanced microflora that helps protect against harmful bacteria. Applying lemon juice, which is highly acidic, can cause an imbalance in the microflora, creating conditions for bacteria and fungi to grow. Ear and nose fungi are very easy to develop in conditions of damaged mucosa and altered pH.

Doctors advise that although lemon is a natural ingredient, it does not mean that it is safe to use if not used properly. Products extracted from lemon must comply with strict control and standardization processes regarding pH and acid concentration to ensure safety for use.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/ton-thuong-bieu-mo-giac-mac-vi-nho-chanh-de-chua-dau-mat-post876919.html