Red eyes in a child

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

A rare mommy will not worry if a child's eye turns red. This symptom is an indicator that not all is well in the body. But you should not immediately call an ambulance or drag the baby to the ophthalmologist or pediatrician, if he does not have a temperature, he is cheerful and eats well.

In this case, the redness may be due to a harmless cause.

But is it still worth finding out why the child has red eyes? Such redness can be a sign of the development of an ophthalmic disease.

Red eyes in a child - reasons

The main causes of red eye in children:

Dacryocystitis. Obstruction of the lacrimal canal occurs in children of the first year of life. The condition can appear immediately after birth, or it can be found in the first 2-3 months of life

In the prenatal period, the lacrimal canal is closed with a gelatinous film, which normally should break with the first cry of the newborn. If this does not happen, then dacryocystitis occurs. Its symptoms: lacrimation, redness of the sclera, irritation of the conjunctiva. Defeat - more often - one-sided.

Conjunctivitis. An infectious disease, more often of an infectious etiology, which can be found even in newborns. Conjunctivitis can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and allergic reactions. With conjunctivitis, a temperature may appear

The most dangerous type of conjunctivitis in a newborn is caused by chlamydia or gonococci.

The incubation period for chlamydial conjunctivitis is up to 2 weeks after birth. Additional symptoms: abundant transparent serous-purulent discharge, corneal lesions, crusts on the eyelids.

Gonoblennorrhea can be noticed within 3 days after birth. This form of the disease is very severe: red eyes with bright purple conjunctiva, discharge that resembles meat slop in color and smell. If treatment does not begin at the onset of the first symptoms, complete blindness may develop - the eyeball is affected.

If the cause of conjunctivitis is candida fungus, the discharge is grayish-white, abundant, the eyelashes are stuck together. May cause severe ophthalmic complications.

Viral and bacterial conjunctivitis can occur in children of any age. The incubation period for the introduction of staphylococci, streptococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and similar microflora is up to 3 days. Symptoms: hyperemia of the eyelids and sclera - of the eye protein, purulent discharge, stuck eyelashes from pus, itching and irritation of the eyelids.

Viral conjunctivitis differs from bacterial only in the nature of the discharge - it is viscous and transparent. At first, the lesion is one-sided, only then the infection spreads to the other eye.

In case of allergic lesions - if treatment is started immediately - the development of conjunctivitis can be stopped.

If the cause of the reddening of the child's eye is an allergy, then the lesions begin with the sclera. Additional symptoms: itching, irritation and flushing of the eyelids, profuse lacrimation. Children can react in this way to contact with pollen, chemicals scattered in the air, food, fabric from which clothes are made, etc

Irritation of the sclera can appear after swimming in the pool or after contact with detergents in the eyes.

But this allergy is of a short-term nature - the irritation disappears within a few hours.

1. Children often have red eyes due to foreign bodies entering them. Toddlers rub their eyes with dirty hands, even when playing in the sandbox. If the lesion is one-sided, and the eyelid additionally swells, it is necessary to consult an ophthalmologist so that the doctor can find out why the visual organ is irritated. An additional symptom in babies up to a year is that blood vessels are visible through the eyelids. You should not be afraid, at this age the skin is very thin.
2. Redness of the eyes can appear against the background of infectious diseases, regardless of the etiology. Additional symptoms of the condition: runny nose, cough, nasal discharge, fever
3. Irritation of the eyeballs can be caused by the weather or indoor climate. A sharp wind, cold, increased dryness, dust in the air - on the street or in the room - all these factors negatively affect the state of the organ of vision.
4. Hyperemia and irritation of the eyelids, reddening of the sclera can be a symptom of ophthalmic and chronic diseases: uevitis, vegetative-vascular dystonia, increased intraocular pressure, blepharitis, keratitis and the like.

If the child is relatively healthy - the temperature is normal, eats with appetite, plays, but is a little lethargic, and the sclera are pink and the eyelids are swollen, then it should be analyzed whether his daily routine is too overstressed.

Maybe you spend too much time watching TV or playing computer games? Overstrain adversely affects the state of the organ of vision.

When a child's eyes are red in the morning, it means that it is necessary to increase the amount set aside for rest or create more comfortable conditions for sleeping.

Do not smoke where the baby sleeps, do not use household chemicals at this time, increase the humidity of the room or ventilate it.

Redness of the eyes in a child - treatment

Treatment is not required if, after redness of the sclera and eyelids due to overwork, crying, or touching with dirty hands, after a while everything is restored on its own.

Eye diseases should be treated when the first symptoms appear.

1. With dacryocystitis, the main therapeutic measures are lavage, regular and daily massage of the lacrimal sac, anti-inflammatory drops. If conservative methods do not help, surgery is performed - probing of the lacrimal canal.
2. Treatment of conjunctivitis depends on the etiology and consists in the use of antibacterial, antiviral or antifungal medications - drops and ointments. Additionally, drops of antihistamine action and soothing irritation can be used. If the lesions are serious - the eyeball, the cornea are damaged, erosive damage has occurred - the treatment can be carried out in a hospital setting. Conjunctivitis caused by gonococci or chlamydia is always treated in a hospital.

Sometimes it is necessary to use antibacterial agents in the form of tablets or in the form of injections.

Drops for the treatment of conjunctivitis caused by fungi cannot be purchased ready-made in the pharmacy chain - they are made according to an individual prescription.

You cannot treat a child on your own for infectious lesions, it is necessary to clarify the type of microflora that caused the damage to the organs of vision.

The doctor can determine the type of lesion by the characteristic symptoms and prescribe adequate treatment.

You can not guess on your own with the type of pathogen, and then you will have to fight not only the infection, but also the complications caused by it.

1. To eliminate allergic processes, antihistamines of general and local action are used - tablets and drops, complement the therapeutic scheme of drops against irritation of the eyeball and conjunctiva.
2. If a foreign body gets into the baby's eye, it is better to consult a doctor. After removing the debris for a while, it is usually recommended to use anti-inflammatory drops to prevent the inflammatory process - if a foreign body has damaged the sclera or conjunctiva, there is a possibility of developing an infectious disease.
3. Ophthalmic and chronic diseases require specific treatment.

When your eyes are red, you should not start to warm them, rinse them with home remedies, drip yourself with those drops that are available. You can rinse your eyelids with furacilin, dim the lights in the room where the baby is, and schedule a visit to the doctor.

It is advisable to provide the treatment of the organ of vision to an ophthalmologist - complications can lead to a deterioration in visual acuity, and therefore to a decrease in the quality of life in the future.