Causes and treatment of sour eyes in an adult

Why eyes fester: causes of souring

Every adult's eyes sometimes fester and become sour. This depends on a number of reasons.

The discharge of pus in the eye area is always a consequence of the development of infection in the conjunctival sac. The bacteria in it multiply quickly, especially at night, when the eyelids are closed.

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The body begins to fight the infection, producing a large amount of mucus, which, due to its specific composition at the time of the inflammatory process, is sticky and dries out very quickly, gluing the edges of the eyelids together.

Therefore, in the morning we sometimes cannot open our eyelids and it is important to know exactly what to do at home and how to treat such a condition in order to properly help our body return to a healthy and comfortable state.

Allergic reasons. In this case, suppuration appears only with severe inflammation. It is caused by prolonged exposure to an irritant on the body.

As a result of allergies, it is the conjunctiva that becomes inflamed, so this phenomenon is known as allergic conjunctivitis. It manifests itself in the form of inflammation of the mucous membrane, the formation of follicles, and in the later stages of the disease the eyes begin to fester. Treatment of allergic conjunctivitis is carried out using traditional therapy, including the use of antihistamines.

Conjunctivitis. The most common cause of suppuration that forms in the eyes. Depending on the causes of its occurrence, conjunctivitis can be bacterial, chronic, acute epidemic, or gonorrheal.

The main symptoms of the disease: redness, tearing, itching, burning, formation and discharge of pus. With gonorrheal conjunctivitis, for example, pus mixed with blood appears, and as a result, this can lead to a perforated ulcer and loss of vision. Therefore, it is important to start treatment of the disease in a timely manner.

If the eyes begin to fester, it means that conjunctivitis has entered a dangerous stage, when it is necessary to resort to radical methods of therapy in order to improve the condition of the eyes as soon as possible.

The trouble when the eyes turn sour is in most cases associated with the development of conjunctivitis.

However, this symptom can also be observed with other eye diseases. Let's try to understand in more detail why the eyes turn sour, and what measures can be taken about this.

Associated symptoms

With the development of conjunctivitis, in addition to souring, redness of one or both eyes is observed. The damaged organ of vision waters, itches, and pus may appear. The last symptom is fraught with the greatest danger, since it can lead the patient to blindness. For this reason, if you discover such symptoms in yourself, immediately visit a doctor.

When irritated by an allergen, the mucous membrane becomes inflamed and follicles form. In advanced cases, purulent discharge appears.

Every second person has encountered stye at least once in their life. The reason for its development is staphylococcus or demodicosis. The first one penetrates the infectious focus through unwashed hands. The second one, in the form of a mite, lives near the eyelash line. Demodectic mange is accompanied by itching; if you scratch the eye, it becomes sour and suppurates. It is impossible to get rid of the disease on your own; complex treatment is required.

With keratitis, visual acuity decreases, intolerance to bright light and pain occur. If the eyes turn red and the cornea becomes cloudy, it means that small capillaries have ruptured. With proper therapy, all negative manifestations go away without consequences, vision is restored. By ignoring dangerous symptoms, the patient risks going blind or developing a thorn on the mucous membrane.

Dacryocystitis is characterized by inflammation of the lacrimal sac. Dilation of the pupils and swelling of the corners of the organ of vision are added to acidification. When pressing on the affected area, pus is released. Patients complain of a persistent feeling of distension of the pouch.

In other infections, souring of the eyes is accompanied by cough, runny nose, joint pain, and fever.

Walking outside when a child has sour eyes

Against the background of influenza virus infection, souring of the eyes and purulent discharge occur against a background of elevated temperature. Viral infection most often develops in a weakened body.

Therefore, a small patient is first prescribed:

Rectal suppositories (Anaferon, Interferon). They increase the body's protective functions, increasing its resistance to infection;
To remove the remnants of dried pus, it is necessary to rinse the eyes with a solution of chamomile or Furacilin;
Before going to bed, you need to put Nitroxoline ointment behind the lower eyelid;
To prevent further spread of the virus, it is necessary to rinse the nasal passages with saline solutions. You can also use Dekasan eye drops.

Hyperemia of the eyeball, which is accompanied by souring, difficulty opening the eyelids in the morning, at the hour of waking up, is most often a symptom of bacterial or viral conjunctivitis. Redness of the sclera in the eye area is the body’s response to an attached infection.

Dilated vessels promote increased delivery of immune cells. Which, in turn, destroy harmful bacteria and viruses. Drugs with vasoconstrictor effects should not be used purposefully.

The redness will disappear on its own if the child washes his eyes more often using:

chamomile decoction;
weak solution of potassium permanganate;
furatsilina.

Redness and souring of the eyes in children may be accompanied by the appearance of films. Usually they do not cause concern to a small patient. But if the child is not vaccinated, such a clinical symptom often indicates the appearance of diphtheria.

Walking in the fresh air should be avoided only in the acute period. When a child not only experiences souring of the eyes, but also a rise in temperature;
After the severity of the process has subsided, daily walks can be resumed, while limiting them in time;
You are allowed to go outside if one hour has passed after the eye wash procedure. Upon arrival from a walk, be sure to rinse and apply eye drops;
If the weather is rainy, frosty or windy, it is best to postpone the walk. In this case, it will be enough to ventilate the room.

In the first few months of life, the child's immunity is very weak. During this period, the body is largely exposed to a variety of infections, including those that provoke suppuration in the eye area.

Careful baby care, rinsing and compresses help to avoid this. In the first weeks of life, eyelashes often stick together, there is lacrimation, and the formation of pus in the lower eyelid. It is in this form that dacryocystitis and conjunctivitis manifest in newborns.

Why do the eyes of a newborn fester?

The main reason for the formation of suppuration is dacryocystitis. The disease is caused by inflammation of the lacrimal sac due to stagnation of tears in the eyes and thus the formation of an environment for the reproduction and development of pathogenic bacteria.

All this happens due to the fact that the child’s nasolacrimal duct does not open. After a few weeks, this problem is solved naturally.

But sometimes the nasolacrimal duct has to be ruptured during surgery. The formation of pus in the eyes indicates the need for surgery.

In newborns it provokes suppuration in the eyes and infectious conjunctivitis. A child can become infected with it from the mother during childbirth or through contact with a sick person. To avoid this, at first you should try to be in public places less and limit contact with people who suffer from various infections.

If the child became infected from the mother during childbirth, the first signs of the disease will become obvious on the second or third day of life. They manifest themselves in the fact that the newborn’s eyelids stick together and pus forms in the corners.

How to treat a baby's eyes?

As part of the prevention of dacryocystitis, a special drug is instilled into the child’s eyes immediately after birth. However, this may not be enough.

The mother can help the newborn cope with the disease. It is enough just to remove the released pus in time with a cotton swab, after wetting it with an antiseptic solution.

In this case, it is necessary to hold the child’s head from the back of the head so as not to damage the eyes if the baby moves unexpectedly.

Treatment

Depending on what disease provoked souring eyes in a child of any age, treatment will be prescribed.

For conjunctivitis
: allergic type of disease - antihistamines, viral - washing the eyes with an antiseptic, bacterial - antibacterial drops and ointments. Albucid, Levomycetin, Tobrex, Vitabact and other similar drops and ointments are suitable for the treatment of all types of conjunctivitis.
For dacryocystitis,
rinsing of the eyes with antiseptic agents and herbal decoctions, massage (and in the most advanced cases, probing) of the nasolacrimal duct, and hygiene procedures are prescribed.

In addition to drug treatment, you will have to provide the baby’s eyes with proper care and, with the doctor’s permission, use folk remedies to wash them.

Pour a tablespoon of dry chamomile, calendula or bay leaf into a glass of boiling water and leave covered for half an hour. Rinse your eyes with this infusion 5-6 times a day.
You can also wash your baby’s sore eyes with warm, strongly brewed black tea.
Washing with furatsilin and a weak solution of potassium permanganate will also give good results.

Now you know what to do if a child’s eyes turn sour: immediately consult a doctor, undergo a course of treatment and provide full care for the baby’s diseased organ of vision. If these conditions are met, recovery occurs quickly enough and without complications for the further health of the baby.

Eliminating the problem of souring eyes in newborns is not difficult. The main thing is to identify the correct source of the problem and the correct method of treatment.

To overcome the disease for physiological reasons, it is enough to regularly wipe the sour eye. This will require a minimum of time, a cotton pad and a weakly infused decoction of St. John's wort, chamomile, calendula, celandine or simple black tea. Breast milk is also a common option.

If the cause is an allergy, then treatment must begin by eliminating all allergens located near the child. Systematically do wet cleaning, hide all soft toys away, remove synthetic material from use, and temporarily relocate animals as far as possible from the baby. However, this is not enough. To completely eliminate the problem, you need to regularly wipe your eyes with one of the above decoctions or slightly diluted potassium permanganate.

In the case of an infectious disease, the attending physician prescribes special medications, the most common of which are: Levomycetin, Vitabact, Albucid, Tobrex.

Redness in the eyes helps recognize conjunctivitis in a newborn. In this case, the following measures must be taken:

Moisten a cotton swab in a weak solution of potassium permanganate or furatsilin and, in the direction from the outer edge to the inner, wipe the baby's eyes.
Consult a doctor if results are not observed within a day. Dacryocystitis leads to the following actions:
Light massage of the tear duct using stroking movements in the bridge of the nose. Pressing lightly, move your thumbs in the direction from bottom to top.
Treating the eye with a special solution or drops that will help relieve inflammation and cleanse it of purulent discharge after manipulation.

A correct diagnosis established in a timely manner and treatment measures taken help eliminate the problem within 6–7 days. If everything is done incorrectly, there is a possibility of an advanced disease that will have to be treated by resorting to antibiotics, which is undesirable for a newborn organism.

Festering eyes, how to treat an adult

Traditional methods of treatment

On our own, we can only provide ourselves with first aid and alleviate the condition. If souring of the eyes is observed in adults, treatment at home can also be carried out using traditional methods. Initially, you need to rinse your eyes with plenty of boiled water and treat them with a cotton pad soaked in furatsilin.

When an adult’s eyes turn sour, what to do and how to prevent the spread of infection?

1. Calendula lotions will remove redness and burning sensation. It is necessary to treat not only the diseased eye, but also the healthy one, but at the same time make sure that for each there is a separate container with broth and disposable tampons.

2. A strong brew of black tea will help relieve inflammation, regardless of the reasons for the appearance of pus, and remove dried crust. How to properly use tea bags for treatment, read the information in the article.

3. You can wash your eyes with a decoction or infusion of chamomile or make compresses using cotton pads.

4. A weak solution of manganese also has antiseptic properties. Using a medical bulb or a syringe without a needle, you can effectively rinse the lower eyelid from pus.

It is advisable to use such procedures only on the first day of suppuration. Afterwards, you should still seek help from a specialist. After all, it is better to determine at the initial stage what is causing the eyes to fester than to treat a certain type of disease in an adult.

Medicines against suppuration in the eye

When the eyes become watery and fester in adults, antibacterial medications or antibiotics are used. If the eye of an adult is festering, treatment should be carried out only after consulting a doctor.

1. For allergic or atopic conjunctivitis, antihistamines (Pheniramine, Antazoline) are prescribed, as well as eye rinsing with a manganese solution.

2. Bacterial conjunctivitis is treated with antiseptic drops (Levomycetin, Albucid), tetracycline ointment and antifungal medications (Moxifloxacin).

3. To combat viral or adenoviral conjunctivitis, interferons (Poludan, Human Interferon) and agents that enhance immunity are used.

4. In the first stages of dacryocystitis in adults, rinsing with anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agents (Ciprofloxan, Dexamethasone), as well as a special massage are performed. In advanced cases of the disease, surgical intervention is necessary.

Features of the disease and methods of its treatment in children

Acidity of the eyes in newborns is a common phenomenon, which two out of three parents of infants experience. But this does not mean that it can not be taken seriously and ignored. Suppuration of the eyes in children develops for the same reasons as in adults, that is, due to the introduction of infection. Or, as a result, blockage of the tear ducts.

While the baby is in the womb, his eyes and nose are covered with a film that protects against the penetration of amniotic fluid. Immediately before childbirth, the need for this film disappears. It resolves on its own during childbirth or immediately after it. But sometimes this does not happen, the tear ducts become blocked, and the tear fluid cannot move into the nasolacrimal ducts and come out. During sleep, it dries out and forms those very crusts that worry young parents so much.

Another reason why newborns’ eyes may turn sour is immature immunity. A baby is born unprotected from infections, so it is natural that a newborn’s eyes easily become inflamed, become red and begin to sour. More often, acidification is a symptom of dacryocystitis or conjunctivitis, as in adults. For the same reason, the eyes of children aged 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 years may become sour.

Festering eyes, how to treat an adult

Before treatment aimed at getting rid of suppuration in the eyes, you should consult with an ophthalmologist to identify the causes of this phenomenon. The doctor will make a diagnosis, on the basis of which therapy is selected.

So, for conjunctivitis, complex treatment includes washing the eyes with chamomile and calendula tincture, strong brewed black tea, placing antibacterial ointments behind the eyelid, and using eye drops.

If the eyes fester due to an allergic reaction, it is necessary to identify the irritant, eliminate it and fight the inflammation. Suppurations caused by colds and flu disappear after the patient has fully recovered.

As part of prevention, it is necessary to monitor personal hygiene. Often, when you have a runny nose, a handkerchief is used for the nose, and then the eyes are wiped with it. Thus, the infection spreads. As a result, the eyes may begin to fester. The use of other people's cosmetics, towels, and pillows leads to a similar effect.

When treating infections that cause suppuration, it is very important to instill the medicine into both eyes, and similarly place the ointment behind the eyelid. This is explained by the fact that all organs and their systems in the body are interconnected.

By affecting one eye, the medicine simultaneously has an effect on the other. In addition, the infection spreads very quickly.

If treatment is aimed at only one eye, the inflammation may soon affect the other.

Tetracycline ointment. To eliminate suppuration, ointments are used; tetracycline is considered the most effective.

This drug is used to relieve inflammation that is caused by infection with microorganisms; it also has an antibacterial effect. The active component of the ointment is tetracycline.

Along with it, it also contains anhydrous lanolin and medical petroleum jelly. Tetracycline has bacteriostatic properties, thanks to which it fights staphylococcus, streptococcus, chlamydia, gonococcus and some other pathogens that provoke eye inflammation with suppuration.

The ointment is usually prescribed for keratitis, trachoma, various types of conjunctivitis, and blepharitis. It must be placed behind the eyelid several times a day.

Tetracycline ointment sometimes causes photophobia and an allergic reaction, so treatment should be carried out under the supervision of an ophthalmologist. In addition, it has a special property of accumulating in the enamel and dentin of teething teeth in children, which affects their color.

A significant advantage of tetracycline ointment is its low price.

Phloxal. A drug that is not inferior to it in terms of effectiveness is Floxal.

This eye ointment has an antimicrobial effect and is used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases caused by various microorganisms. Can be used if the eyes are festering due to blepharitis, barley, conjunctivitis, dacryocystitis, eye injury, chlamydial infection, corneal ulcer.

Similar to tetracycline ointment, this ointment is applied behind the eyelid several times a day. The course of treatment should not exceed 14 days.

Side effects of the drug include increased sensitivity to light, burning, itching, and discomfort in the eyes. When treating suppuration with Floxal ointment, you should not wear contact lenses. It is recommended to wear sunglasses to avoid exposure to ultraviolet radiation. After completing a course of treatment with Floxal, visual acuity may decrease.

In addition to the fact that it is important to understand how to treat eyes if they are watery and fester, it is also useful to adhere to certain measures during therapy.

And remember that even if you have pus in only one eye, treatment should be carried out on both eyes.

How to treat a disease if the eye is red, sour and there is pus

To get rid of an unpleasant symptom, you need good comprehensive treatment and timely consultation with a doctor.

To treat diseases caused by allergies, it is necessary to prescribe antihistamines. Adults are prescribed Allergodil and Spersallerg drops. For a vasoconstrictor effect, you can drip Visin eye drops 2 times a day.

Drugs

In other cases, doctors usually prescribe:

Antimicrobial drugs. One of the most popular remedies in this group is Levomycetin. This drug exists in the form of drops and tablets. In ophthalmology, drops are mainly used. Instill the remedy for eye suppuration, 1 drop 3 times a day (morning, lunch and evening). Another effective antibacterial drug is Albucid eye drops. But this information will help you understand how to use such drops during pregnancy.
Tetracycline ointment. It is often prescribed for many infectious diseases of the eye: conjunctivitis, blepharitis, etc. The action of the drug is aimed at blocking protein synthesis in the cells of the pathogen, which leads to the inability of the microorganism to have negative effects on the body.
Antiseptics. The most common of them is “Oftamirin”. It comes in eye drops. The main effect of the drug is anti-inflammatory and immunostimulating. But what are the most effective drops for cataracts can be seen here.
Immunostimulants. This group of medications is not necessary, but it will speed up the healing process and strengthen the human body as a whole.
Compresses (from potassium permanganate, calendula, chamomile, etc.).

Treatment of purulent eye diseases using folk methods

Find out in what cases it is necessary to use Oxial eye drops.

Recipe No. 1 against decay

To get rid of purulent eyes, bird cherry compresses can help. To prepare the product, you need to pour 100 g of flowers into 500 ml of boiling water. The prepared mixture should be placed in a cool, dark place overnight. The product can be used in the morning.

You need to wash the abscess at home 2 times a day.

Bird cherry for compresses

Recipe No. 2 to wash your eyes if they are festered and inflamed

You can prepare an infusion of calendula flowers and plantain leaves, and also use it as a compress. To prepare, you need 50 g of flowers and 50 g of leaves, pour 300 ml of boiling water, let it brew overnight.

Compresses should be made in the evenings, changing the napkin 4-5 times.

Calendula flowers

Recipe No. 3, if your eyes are swollen and itchy

You can also prepare eye drops. To do this, you need to mix real honey and water (warm, but not boiling water), in a concentration of 1:2.

Apply 1 drop at a time to your eyes in the morning and evening. The course of treatment is 5-7 days. During this time, the suppuration of the eyes should stop.

Water and honey for compresses

Recipe No. 4 to wash your eyes if there is strong discharge

To prepare the following remedy, you will need onions, water and honey. The peeled onion should be boiled in 200 ml of water. Next, you need to mix warm water with 1 teaspoon of honey. When the product has cooled, it should be used as an eye wash.

Onions, water and honey

Eye drops - recipe No. 5, if there is inflammation, the eye is red and watery

As drops, you can use aloe, diluted with water, in a 1:1 ratio. You need to use the product 2 times a day, instilling 1 drop at a time.

Medicines

Only an ophthalmologist can choose the correct treatment method. Since souring eyes can be a manifestation of various pathological processes. Only a correct diagnosis will eliminate this unpleasant symptom.

To achieve the maximum therapeutic effect, instillation of drops and application of ointment should be done as follows:

Before carrying out the procedure, you must wash your hands thoroughly with soap;
To carry out the manipulation, the newborn is placed on his back; if necessary, he can be swaddled;
After washing the eyes with an antiseptic solution, the lower eyelid is moved back, followed by squeezing out a small amount of ointment or instilling drops (eye drops must be instilled into the corner of the eye closer to the bridge of the nose);
When carrying out this procedure, it is very important that the cannula of the tube with the medicine does not come into contact with the mucous membrane of the eye.

Signs and causes of purulent inflammation

Often, the reason why an adult’s eyes fester is due to various types of conjunctivitis.

In the photo: the appearance of purulent discharge from the eyes associated with various types of conjunctivitis

In addition to conjunctivitis, the eyes of an adult hurt and fester for the following reasons:

In the photo: symptoms of dicryocystitis in adults

1. The occurrence of dacryocystitis (inflammation of the lacrimal sac, causing blockage of the lacrimal duct and, as a result, pus from the eye in an adult).

2. Fungal infections.

4. Infections with trachoma (chronic conjunctivitis, often caused by chlamydia).

Why an adult's eyes become sour can also be explained by an eye injury or infection during the postoperative period.

In the first stages of the disease, the symptoms are not so pronounced:

If an adult's eyes become sour, this may be due to an eye injury or infection during the postoperative period

• eyes become red and often watery; • there is a slight burning or soreness in the eyes; • the organ of vision constantly turns sour; • there is a feeling of a foreign body in the eye.

But taken together, these signs can indicate a serious pathology. Remember that the sooner you can diagnose the disease and find out why an adult’s eyes are festering, the fewer serious consequences await you in the future. Therefore, do not delay your visit to the ophthalmologist and do not self-medicate.

First aid

If a child develops a symptom of sour eyes, they must be thoroughly washed before visiting a doctor.

For this you can use:

weak solution of potassium permanganate;
warm decoction of chamomile or calendula;
furatsilin solution.

This will reduce pain and remove purulent crusts from the mucous membrane of the eye and eyelids. Do not resort to using cold or hot compresses. This will enhance the development of pathogenic microflora.

The eye wash procedure must be carried out taking into account the following rules:

For a child of the first year of life, washing is done in a lying position; for this, he is placed on a diaper. Older children are asked to sit in a chair with a backrest.
The rinsing liquid should be at room temperature.
For rinsing, use only sterile gauze swabs. The use of cotton wool is unacceptable, as its particles may remain in the eye area.
The swab is generously moistened with an antiseptic solution and the eyes are wiped in the direction from the inner corner to the outer edge.
Be sure to use a separate swab for each eye. After this manipulation, the eyes are thoroughly blotted with a sterile gauze cloth.
After this procedure, it is best for an infant to rest in a supine position.
The eye rinsing procedure must be repeated every 2 hours.

Diagnostic methods

Diagnostics includes clinical methods of examining the patient. The eyeball and eyelids are examined.

After diagnosis, treatment must follow immediately, otherwise the disease may become chronic, and vision may deteriorate greatly, resulting in complete blindness.

If you consult a doctor on time, improvement will occur within five to seven days.

If pus is discharged, topical antibiotics (eye drops) are usually prescribed. They act quite gently and effectively. Treatment lasts a week, after which the antibiotic is replaced with a weaker drug.

See the article about antibiotic eye drops.

If the cause of the disease is an allergy, a foreign body or dirt getting into the eye, then you need to rinse the eyes well, remove the foreign object, eliminate the pathogen, and then apply lotions to quickly relieve inflammation.