You notice redness in your baby's eyes. What's happened? Something needs to be done about this immediately! But what?
In order to answer these questions, it is necessary to correctly determine the cause of the alarming symptom. Red eyes in children are a fairly common occurrence and indicate both the influence of external factors and a sign of a specific disease. The causes of this condition must be sought in order to find out a method for getting rid of redness.
If we look at the reasons in more detail, we can find out how to act in this case and help our beloved child.
Causes of red eyes
Why does redness occur? This can be facilitated by both external influences and the manifestation of internal diseases. If we manage to correctly establish the cause of the external factor, then it is enough to eliminate the source and limit ourselves to strengthening proper care for the baby. But otherwise, we will need to consult a doctor who will help us choose the right medications in this case.
Doctors divide the causes of red eyes in children into two groups.
The first includes external factors. The second group of reasons is the manifestation of internal diseases.
Where do pimples on the body come from?
There are enough reasons. Only in full confidence in your own health can you diagnose yourself. In other cases, it is better to definitely consult a doctor.
Let's figure out what causes purulent abscesses on the body:
- Disruption of the sebaceous glands. This point also includes increased sweating. Excessive sweating or sebum secretion, especially in the hot season, means open pores, into which dirt, dust and infection enter much more quickly. In this case, inflammatory processes cannot be avoided.
- Failure to comply with personal hygiene rules. This rule is partly related to the first point, ignoring which leads to serious consequences - a purulent rash or even blood poisoning. Wash your hands more often, take a shower at least once a day, use only your own things - this will help avoid many skin problems.
- Problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Internal problems very often manifest themselves externally on the skin due to intoxication of the body. This problem can also include the consumption of alcohol, highly fatty or smoked foods. It mainly affects the face or back, where the skin is thinnest.
- Synthetic or poor quality clothing. Oddly enough, a favorite T-shirt or dress can cause abscesses on the epidermis. Synthetic materials irritate the skin and cause allergic reactions. You should be careful about items from second hand stores whose previous owners you are not familiar with.
- Poor quality food. This point combines several previous ones. Poor quality, not fresh products, metabolic disorders, non-compliance with healthy eating rules lead to gastrointestinal problems. To this we also add bad habits that infect the body. If there are purulent acne, doctors prescribe treatment, which is supported by a special diet. This method eliminates malfunctions in the gastrointestinal tract and makes it possible to find out the true cause.
- Low quality creams and hygiene products. Low quality cosmetic products are another reason for acne. They contain chemicals that clog pores, causing inflammation on the delicate epidermis. Use proven and high-quality cosmetics.
- Problematic blood. It would be more correct to say - contaminated blood. It has the ability to transmit infections throughout the body, which manifests itself in the form of rashes. Capillary, venous or arterial cuts, open wounds or infected through them are the same as ulcers on the skin. They can be a sign of serious diseases, including sexually transmitted diseases.
- Weak immune system. When immunity decreases, the body's protective function weakens, which explains the presence of many diseases. Acne, as an external signal of disturbances, is no exception.
- Hormonal imbalances. It is no secret that puberty in adolescents is manifested by a hormonal rash on the face and body. Women experience the same thing during menstruation. These two cases are temporary and pass after the expiration of the period. And hormonal imbalances themselves may manifest themselves due to problems with hormones or associated with taking appropriate medications.
As you can see, there are many reasons for the formation of abscesses. Take education sensibly and logically, but consultation with a specialist will not be superfluous, because an abscess is a signal of an internal dysfunction of the body.
Identification
Body rashes are conventionally divided into two categories: inflamed or non-inflamed rashes. The first ones cause discomfort and can cause pain. They differ from non-inflamed pimples by the presence of purulent fluid inside or soft tissue, which eventually comes out, and in some cases, is infectious. It is not recommended to squeeze out such formations, so as not to further damage the integrity and aesthetic appearance of the skin. Any abscess on the body requires treatment - the same non-inflamed pimple has every chance of turning into an abscess with purulent fluid. Do not try to identify the rash yourself from a photo from the Internet. The best way to calm yourself down and prevent serious problems is to see a dermatologist.
Overexertion and fatigue
Modern children love to watch cartoons on TV or hang out at the computer for a long time. Often the result of such a pastime is overstrain and, as a result, eye fatigue. If the child has taken a break from the screen and the redness has gone away, there is no reason to worry. Red eye can also occur after the baby has woken up.
There are situations when a child, bursting into tears, rubs his eyes with his fists until they turn red. In this case, just rinse your eyes with cold water, and the redness will soon go away.
Is inflammation without discharge contagious?
Inflammation without discharge that occurs against the background of an adenovirus infection is considered very contagious. It is transmitted through the air. When a patient sneezes and coughs, viruses are found almost everywhere. It is impossible to avoid infection even after isolating the patient.
Whether everyone at home gets infected or not depends on the state of the person’s immunity. Children get sick more often and for longer because their immunity is weaker.
Reference. The danger of infection lies in the fact that diseases caused by viruses have a long incubation period of 7 to 10 days.
Allergy
All children often touch their eyes with their hands during their games, as a result, specks and dust particles from children's palms can get into the eyes, thereby causing redness. In this case, the redness is accompanied by burning and pain. Being exposed to environmental aggression in rooms with a large accumulation of dust, or inhaling pollen, a child may suffer from allergies. The capillaries in his eyes become red, itchy and watery, but do not produce pus. This is not dangerous to health, but it is worth identifying the cause and promptly limiting it from the pathogen. This phenomenon quickly passes if the room is cleaned and ventilated quite often.
Possible complications
Keratitis is a dangerous complication of viral conjunctivitis, manifested by pain and redness, ulceration and clouding of the cornea.
Expert opinion
Danilova Elena Fedorovna
Ophthalmologist of the highest qualification category, Doctor of Medical Sciences. Has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating eye diseases in adults and children.
If superficial keratitis turns into deep, then the inflammatory process can cover the inner layers of the cornea. This can lead to scarring, decreased vision, and even blindness. Therefore, if signs of conjunctivitis occur, you should immediately contact an ophthalmologist.
Cold
A cold with a high fever often causes red eyes. Runny nose, cough, snot, sore throat are symptoms that cause an increase in the child’s body temperature and, accordingly, the normal functioning of the capillaries is disrupted. Hence the red eye. Here it should be rightly noted that treatment of a cold is required first, and redness of the eyes will go away on its own.
If there is excessive nasal discharge, the child needs to blow his nose, and the tension can cause the capillaries in the eyes to burst and, accordingly, reddening of the whites, even without the presence of elevated temperature.
Types of disease
Conjunctivitis without pus can be of the following types:
- viral (herpetic, adenoviral);
- allergic;
- autoimmune;
- traumatic.
The non-purulent type of the disease occurs among adults and children. Most often it is caused by viruses, and they can initially affect the ENT organs and upper respiratory tract, and only a few days after the appearance of characteristic signs of the disease affect the conjunctiva.
Non-bacterial forms of inflammation of the conjunctiva often occur after exposure to unfavorable environmental factors. Many people have sensitive mucous membranes, which easily become inflamed due to being in a smoky room, when working with chemicals, reagents and medications. In this case, it is recommended to use special eye protection throughout the working day. After returning home, you still need to wash your eyes and facial skin and use moisturizing drops.
At the first symptoms of the inflammatory process, start using drops with antimicrobial components and antiseptics.
Conjunctivitis
Typically, children under five years of age are at increased risk of acquiring conjunctivitis. Often the cause can be various bacteria, as well as various infectious diseases. Note that there is bacterial, viral and allergic conjunctivitis.
Allergic manifests itself as a common allergic reaction to dust and pollen. This pathology has obvious signs, and parents can easily assess this condition. In the morning, the baby's eyelashes stick together with a yellowish crust. As a rule, conjunctivitis is accompanied by redness of the eyes without pus.
Dry eye syndrome
Dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis) is a common condition caused by decreased tear production or poor tear quality. Occurs due to increasing age, being female, taking medications (for example, anticholinergics) and certain diseases. The diagnosis is made by a doctor based on the clinical picture and diagnostic tests.
Tear osmolarity is the best diagnostic indicator for dry eye. Overall diagnostic accuracy increases when tear osmolarity is combined with assessment of tear turnover and evaporation rates. Some patients with dry eye may experience ocular discomfort on examination without disruption of the tear film. In such people, treatment for dry eye can be initiated based on signs and symptoms. If Sjögren's syndrome is suspected, autoantibody testing should be performed.
Treatment includes frequent application of artificial tears during the day and evening application of lubricants that reduce the rate of tear evaporation. Using humidifiers and well-fitting glasses with side shields can also reduce tear loss. If artificial tears cause itching or irritation, you may want to switch to a preservative-free form or alternative.
When inflammation is a major factor in dry eyes, Cyclosporine ophthalmic drops will help increase tear production. Taking Cyclosporine can continue for several months until there is visible improvement. Systemic omega-3 fatty acids are also beneficial. Topical corticosteroids have been shown to be effective in treating inflammation associated with dry eye. The goal of treatment is to prevent scarring and perforation of the cornea. An ophthalmologist is needed to prescribe a course of topical steroids or undergo surgery.
How to cure dry eye syndrome, watch the thematic video:
Difficult patency of the lacrimal canal
In the first time after childbirth, infants may experience poor patency of the tear duct and, as a result, redness near and under the eyes. This is because newborns' eyelids are very thin and their eyes seem to glow from within. The blood channels of their eyes are visible even with closed eyelids. This phenomenon does not pose any particular danger.
Obstruction of the lacrimal canal in infancy requires medical intervention and is implemented by hospitalization in a hospital.
Which doctor should I contact?
When the eyes are inflamed, a person often faces the question: which specialist should he make an appointment with?
For an adult
Attention! Be sure to consult an ophthalmologist! For conjunctivitis, self-medication is unacceptable!
An ophthalmologist will conduct an initial examination of the eye and prescribe the necessary tests and procedures.
To kid
If symptoms of the disease appear in a child, then in such cases a pediatric ophthalmologist deals with conjunctivitis. This specialist diagnoses and treats the disease, taking into account the age characteristics of the child’s body.
Foreign body entry
While relaxing on the beach by the sea or bodies of water where there is sand, children love to play with it, and therefore grains of sand very often get into their eyes. This provokes redness and tearing (without pus), which is eliminated by rinsing with water. Eyelashes that get into the eye can be eliminated yourself. In this case, the eyes are washed by injecting water from a syringe without a needle, or the eyelash is removed using a corner of a clean handkerchief folded several times. If we couldn’t get the speck, we go to the clinic.
Homeopathic treatment of illness
Photo 2: Homeopathy is made from various natural ingredients, so it does not have a harmful effect on the body, but only stimulates natural defenses.
Source: flickr (manual-plusk). Homeopathic medicines are a regulating therapy that, through stimulation, stimulates a person's natural mechanisms for recovery. Therefore, people who suffer from red eyes and the appearance of pus quite often should have the following drugs in their medicine cabinet that relieve symptoms and speed up natural recovery:
- Alumia – often used for chronic conjunctivitis, reduces pain and burning.
- Apis - swelling and redness, acute conjunctivitis and sudden pain are controlled by the components of the drug .
- Argentum nitricum is useful for people with regular suppuration in the eyes. Copes with heavy discharge in the corners of the eyes, as well as purulent infections.
- Arnica (Arnica) . If eye injuries often occur with the appearance of inflammatory processes and pus, this drug is indispensable at home to speed up healing.
- Arsenicum album is used during adolescence when inflammatory processes appear on the cornea with the formation of pus.
- Belladonna – copes with viral inflammation, relieving symptoms quite quickly. For bloody swelling of the eyelids and strong production of tears, as well as photophobia, this homeopathic remedy is used.
Doctors' recommendations
Despite the fact that it is a provoking factor, you need to follow some rules that can prevent such phenomena:
- Do not apply heat to eyes, especially dry eyes;
- communication with children with conjunctivitis should be limited;
- to avoid blushing, it is recommended to prohibit watching television and communicating with a computer at night in complete darkness;
- every day, wash your baby’s eyes several times with warm water (to remove dust and foreign bodies that have entered the eyes, use warm tea lotions; for this use cotton swabs, which are placed on the eyelids and held for 10 minutes; wipe the corners of the eyes with warm milk);
- Select the necessary glasses or contact lenses only on the recommendation of a doctor.
Prevention
In order to avoid conjunctivitis and other eye diseases, it is necessary to take simple preventive measures.
- Visit an ophthalmologist annually for preventive examinations.
- For washing and removing cosmetics, use only clean running water.
- Never use other people's cosmetics (mascara, eye shadow, cream).
- Observe hygiene rules.
- If possible, avoid contact with substances (animals) that cause allergies.
- Treat somatic diseases in a timely manner.
- Be sure to wear glasses if visual acuity is reduced.
- Entrust the selection of lenses to a specialist.
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