Often, we take the highly vital roles our eyes play in optimising our daily living experience for granted until something goes wrong. If you have ever had anything, even as small as a tiny grain of sand get into your eyes, then you can attest to the how awful such a situation can be.

Desperate situations they say, deserve desperate measures. People, in a bid to be helpful, will come up with all sorts of advice. But remember, when it has to do with what can or cannot go into your eyes, it's probably best to err heavily on the side of caution.

One day, Akin was busy in his furniture shop polishing off a centre piece when he felt a particle of wood fly into his eyes. Initially, he didn't give it much thought. He just rubbed his eye to try and get it out. But the more he rubbed, the worse he felt, until his eye turned an angry red and the tears started flowing. His fellow work men and neighbours were naturally concerned. One offered to share an eye drop he had bought for an eye infection some weeks earlier. Another guy suggested he use sugar solution. Another tried to get it out by blowing air into Akin's eye (the mouth does harbour an incredible amount of not-so-friendly microorganisms). Then someone suggested he apply his urine. Almost everyone was in agreement about the efficacy of this third option. Besides, it was readily available. And so he did.

Photo credit: Daily mail

By the next day, he knew he had to get to the hospital quickly. His right eye was swollen shut with very thick purulent discharge that seemed to accumulate as soon as he wiped it off. What started out as a mild irritation had turned into an ophthalmologist's nightmare - gonococcal conjunctivitis!!!

Photo credit: Howard M. Leibowitz