Guava trees are valued for their fruit, but their leaves have also been used traditionally in different herbal practices. Because of this history, you may see online recipes claiming that guava leaves can quickly eliminate eye infections or replace pharmacy eye drops.
However, putting homemade guava-leaf water, juice, or other herbal preparations directly into the eyes is not a safe substitute for properly formulated eye drops or medical treatment. Homemade preparations are not sterile, and introducing contaminated liquid into the eye can potentially make an infection worse or cause additional irritation.
A red, painful, swollen, watery, or discharge-filled eye can have many different causes. Conjunctivitis, allergies, dry eye, a foreign body, corneal injury, and other conditions can produce similar symptoms but may require completely different treatment.
If you want to use guava leaves as part of your normal diet, wash them properly and use them only in food or beverages intended for consumption. But avoid using homemade leaf infusions as eye washes or placing them directly into the eyes.
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