home Audience 1 How to treat conjunctivitis in children? How to quickly cure conjunctivitis in children at home: pharmacy drops and folk remedies

How to treat conjunctivitis in children? How to quickly cure conjunctivitis in children at home: pharmacy drops and folk remedies

There is probably no mother who has not gone through childhood conjunctivitis. Children are very active, they explore the world through tactile sensations. How can you not pet a kitty or a dog on the street? Digging sand with a shovel? No, I haven't! It slips through your fingers so interestingly.

Pebbles, candy wrappers, bottles, animals - children want to touch everything and everyone! We just touched the cat and scratched its eye with the same hands.

As a result, microbes entered the mucous membrane and led to the onset of inflammatory process. Therefore, conjunctivitis is often called the “disease of dirty hands.” But this is not the only variant of the disease in children.

Main types of childhood conjunctivitis

There are three types of conjunctivitis in children:

Bacterial;
Viral;
Allergic.

Each type has its own reasons for the occurrence and development of the disease.

Bacterial

This type occurs as a result of pathogenic bacteria entering the child’s eye. This usually happens through the hands. After contact with a sick person or playing with an object on which there were bacteria, the hands were not washed thoroughly and they began to scratch their eyes.

Distinctive feature This type is purulent discharge from the eyes and sticking of eyelashes after sleep.

Viral

The cause of the viral type is a virus. Even a common cold can trigger the onset of inflammation of the eye mucosa. This form is accompanied by fever, runny nose, cough and pharyngitis (redness of the throat).

Allergic

Allergic conjunctivitis is directly related to various allergens. Spring - summer, nature blossoms, and with it allergies. The wind blew and caused the formation foreign body in the eye in the form of pollen or other tiny particles.

It can also cause washing powder or other household products, new clothes or toy. The hallmark of this type is irritated red eyes without purulent discharge, profuse lacrimation.

Symptoms of conjunctivitis in children

The appearance of childhood conjunctivitis is usually accompanied by symptoms such as:

Any mother can see these signs. But it is necessary to understand that if it is not possible to independently establish the exact cause of the occurrence, you must immediately consult a doctor who will quickly make a diagnosis and prescribe the correct treatment.

When should you urgently take your baby to the doctor?

If at least one of the following signs is present during the course of the disease, an appointment with a doctor should be arranged as soon as possible:

the baby is less than 1 year old;
no improvement for more than two days;
painful reaction to light;
the child complains of blurred vision;
blisters formed on the eyelids (like herpes).

All these are signs of herpetic conjunctivitis. Treating this type on your own is very dangerous. If incorrect or untimely treatment Possible lifelong eye problems.

How is childhood conjunctivitis treated?

There are cases when conjunctivitis occurs in a child for the first time and the mother does not want to see a doctor. You have to drag the baby to the hospital, sit in line there, and you don’t really want to go on sick leave.

And on the advice of grandmothers, neighbors or other people who “know everything,” they begin to treat on their own, without really understanding the causes of this disease.

Moms, remember, incorrectly or untimely treated conjunctivitis in a baby can lead to irreversible problems with the organ of vision!

Unfortunately, there is no one magic medicine that will get rid of any form of conjunctivitis. First of all, the doctor will need to analyze what was the impetus for the onset of the disease and determine its form. And only after that engage in treatment.

With a bacterial and viral form, only one eye of a child can be affected, with an allergic form - always both. This fact will help determine the species.

Let's consider possible options treatments for different types of conjunctivitis.

Bacterial conjunctivitis

Light form

Mild forms go away on their own and quite quickly. Typically used to treat conjunctivitis bacterial origin Sometimes it is enough to wash your eyes with chamomile infusion or saline solution.

Remember, the infusion and solution should always be fresh. You should not do large volumes for several days, such washings will be of no use. If the baby does not improve for more than two days, you should contact your doctor again so that he can prescribe local antibacterial therapy.

Complex shape

There are situations when microbes such as hemophilia bacillus or pneumococcus cause a rather severe form of bacterial conjunctivitis, in which treatment requires not only eye drops, but also oral antibiotics.

Drops must be instilled at least every 4 to 6 hours. Sometimes it is necessary every 2 hours. A common remedy is a 20% solution of albucid, which stops the proliferation of harmful bacteria and helps cleanse them from eyeball.

This drug is approved for use in childhood and is excellent for preventing bacterial conjunctivitis even in newborns.

The ointment retains its effect longer, so it needs to be applied 2-3 times a day. After applying the ointment, the child experiences discomfort and a temporary decrease in vision clarity is possible, so children are more often prescribed antibacterial drops during the day, and antibacterial ointment before bed.

Viral conjunctivitis

With a viral form, you can wait for the body to cope on its own or take antibiotics in the form of drops or ointments, which the pediatrician will prescribe.

With viral conjunctivitis, there is not much difference between washing a child’s eyes with chamomile or saline solution, because the disease will pass when the body itself develops immunity. Usually it is 5-7 days.

Here, drops and ointments containing antiviral components are also used for treatment.

Allergic conjunctivitis

Treatment of this type of childhood eye disease begins with a search for the allergen and only after that drugs are used to suppress it. It is equally important to eliminate contact with the object, causing allergies. There is no point in washing your eyes here.

Drugs for the treatment of this form of the disease are divided into:

hormonal (rapid response);
non-hormonal (slow-acting).

Majority non-hormonal drugs begin to act after 4 - 5 days of use. Hormones act very quickly. Quite often when used local drugs Antihistamines are added for oral administration of antiallergic drugs.

How to properly put drops in your baby's eyes?

When treating, an important factor is to carry out the procedures correctly. It is very important to instill the drops correctly! You need to drip into the inner corner of the eye. Then press for a few seconds so that the droplets do not flow into nasolacrimal duct and spread over the entire surface of the eye.

Afterwards, use a sterile napkin, a piece of cotton wool or a cotton pad and blot, and there should be a separate napkin for each eye.

When a mother drips first on the diseased eye and then on the healthy eye, then the mother is the factor that transfers the infection to the healthy eye. Although children often do this themselves, rubbing the sore eye, and then the healthy one.

Therefore, when treating unilateral infectious conjunctivitis, the rule is to protect both eyes from infection by dripping both the sick and healthy eyes of the child. In this case, the tip of the bubble from which the drop flows, or the pipette should not come into contact with either the mucous membrane or the eyelid.

How to properly apply eye ointment to a child?

When applying the ointment, use special spatulas or place it on the lower eyelid directly from the tube. But this is very difficult to do with children, because both the spatula and the tube can injure the mucous membrane if the child starts to struggle.

In this case, the mother should cut off the nail on one finger, wash her hands thoroughly and apply ointment to the treated finger, and then to the lower eyelid. This is a small point to keep in mind.

How long is conjunctivitis contagious to others?

When we're talking about not about herpetic and adenoviral conjunctivitis, then children are practically not contagious if they are not hugged or kissed.

If a child goes to kindergarten, then if conjunctivitis occurs, it is necessary to leave the child at home in order to protect him from deterioration, and other children from the possibility of becoming infected. You can return only when there are no problems with your eyes for two days.

How to protect your child from relapse of conjunctivitis?

Like treatment methods, prevention of this disease in children depends on its type. It is necessary to clearly analyze what happened before the child got sick. We put on a new jacket, changed shampoo or powder, talked to a sick child, caught a cold or scratched our eyes with dirty hands.

Allergic

If this allergic type conjunctivitis, then it is enough to avoid contact with the allergen.

Namely, it is necessary:

follow a diet that excludes food allergens;
do not have pets;
use hypoallergenic powder and dishwashing detergents;
carefully monitor the choice of children's clothing;
Dust your home more often.

Bacterial

If a child played in the sandbox and then rubbed his eyes with dirty hands, as a result, bacteria entered the mucous membrane of the eye through dirty hands and led to the development of bacterial conjunctivitis.

To prevent the disease from returning, parents should:

Explain to the child that this cannot be done.
When going outside, always take wet wipes with an antibacterial effect with you and thoroughly dry your hands while walking as necessary.
When you get home, be sure to wash your child’s hands with soap.

However, all of the above simple rules and so must be observed by mom and dad without any reminders.

Viral

To prevent viral conjunctivitis in a child:

Strengthening the immune system (hardening, vitamins, sufficient exposure to fresh air).
Regular ventilation of the room in which the baby lives.
Regular change of children's bedding.
Proper personal hygiene.

Of course, it is impossible to protect a child from all diseases. But simple preventive measures will significantly reduce the risk of the disease.

General measures to prevent conjunctivitis

If your child goes to kindergarten, make sure that his personal towel is always clean. Explain to your baby that you need to wash your hands with soap after a walk, and be sure to wash your face.

If your child visits the pool, spare no expense on special glasses. Be sure to consult with your trainer about how to put them on correctly.

After the visit, it would be a good idea to rinse your child’s eyes with regular saline solution, which can easily be prepared at home at the rate of 1 tablespoon of salt per liter of water.

Pediatric ophthalmologists see conjunctivitis in children every day. Common symptom for this disease is inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye. Signs of infection occur not only in children school age, but also in newborn babies. It doesn’t matter whether the symptoms are hidden or very noticeable, you should not delay the fight against this common illness for a day and go to the clinic without hesitation.

Doctors are familiar with dozens of diseases that fit the category of “conjunctivitis.” Human eyeballs and eyelids are covered with a protective, very thin shell– conjunctiva. Its inflammation occurs for various reasons. To quickly and reliably get rid of the problem, it is necessary to determine what caused the illness and eliminate this cause.

Bacterial factor

Blenorheal conjunctivitis

If the mother's birth canal is infected, the baby is at risk of becoming infected. Cases of intrauterine penetration of bacteria through the blood rarely occur. The process is difficult. After two to three days, a bloody substance begins to flow from the eyes, then yellowish-green pus. There is a risk that the infection will spread to the cornea. And this leads to serious complications, up to blindness. This type of disease is caused by a microorganism called gonococcus.

Pneumococcal conjunctivitis

This infection affects the youngest. Germs are spread through close contacts, hands, household items, and toys. Frequent disinfection of the premises helps reduce the number of sick children.

Chlamydial conjunctivitis

Diphtheria conjunctivitis

This most dangerous species conjunctivitis. The child's temperature rises to 39 degrees, swelling and redness of the eyes appear. Later arise bloody issues. It's highly contagious. If doctors are confident in the diagnosis, the child is isolated. And therapy is carried out only in a hospital setting.

Streptococcal or staphylococcal conjunctivitis

Children of younger nursery and preschool age Most often they become infected with bacterial conjunctivitis. Its source is staphylococcus or streptococcus.
Kids visiting nursery preschool find themselves in a closed environment. A a large number of people in one room serves to spread the infection at lightning speed. Home child has a much lower risk of becoming infected. An indicative difference between bacterial staphylococcal and streptococcal conjunctivitis from other forms of the disease is that both eyes become inflamed at the same time.

Viral factor

Viruses infect the organs of vision often in combination with a bacterial infection, which is secondary in such cases. If no complications occur, then children's immunity will cope with the infection on its own.

Herpetic conjunctivitis

Virus herpes simplex penetrates the body both through contact with infected people and through airborne droplets. If it gets into the eyes, it can cause the development of a pathological process.

Adenoviral conjunctivitis

Affects children of any age through airborne droplets. The adenovirus attacks the entire body of the patient.

Fungal factor

If someone is prone to frequent colds He most likely has a very weakened immune system. These people may experience conjunctivitis caused by fungi. This type of disease can be treated for a long time through special antifungal therapy.

Allergic factor

When there is a tendency to be allergic to something, for example, house or library dust, any food, pollen flowering trees, herbs, household chemicals, human hair or the microclimate in the group, one should be wary of the occurrence eye inflammation allergic type.

Traumatic factor

Anyone can experience traumatic conjunctivitis if they accidentally injure their eyes. If dirt gets on a wound or just a small abrasion on the mucous membrane, pathology will most likely develop. This is what causes traumatic conjunctivitis.

Symptoms of conjunctivitis in children

Depending on the reasons for the onset of irritation, the symptoms vary. different types diseases. Bacterial infection occurs in acute form. Although it may begin with a mild sting, as if a speck had gotten into the eye.

The baby's eye turns red, then the eyelids swell, and a narrow palpebral fissure forms. Then the discomfort spreads to the other eye. Photophobia, itching and lacrimation are characteristic symptoms.

The discharge will be purulent and mucous, drying up after sleep. They glue the eyelids and eyelashes of an infected person. The general condition worsens, the temperature rises. Children usually become very moody and irritable.

In the pneumococcal or diphtheria form of the disease, the eyes are covered with abundant films, and they are not easy to remove. When infected with herpes, blisters appear on the eyelids. An urgent consultation with an ophthalmologist is needed here.

With the chlamydial variant, both eyes are affected at once, and enlargement of the auricular lymph nodes is possible. Chlamydia infection forces you to seek help not only from an ophthalmologist, but also from other specialists.

Signs that a child has developed conjunctivitis include:

sensation of a foreign body, one or both at once
The baby's persistent attempts to rub his eyes with his hands
redness
burning and itching
swelling of the eyelids
purulent and mucous discharge
films on the eyes that greatly change appearance cornea
yellowish-green dried crusts around the eyes
photophobia
blepharospasm (involuntary squeezing of the eyelids)
blisters on eyelids

Additional symptoms will be:

Treatment of conjunctivitis in children at home

If the course of the disease does not require an immediate trip to the clinic or the fight against it has already begun, there are many proven methods that will alleviate the condition of the affected organs of vision. For quick effect And good results they should be applied step by step:

It is imperative to stop visiting the nursery, kindergarten, schools, swimming pools, clubs. You should not become a carrier of infection, even if the illness is mild and not accompanied by severe discomfort.
You should immediately cancel outdoor walks in bright sunshine and cold or windy weather.
Immediately begin systematic hygiene procedures- Wash your eyes several times a day and clean them of crusts. This way, the general condition will improve, and the disease will not spread deep into the eye.
If the body temperature rises above 38 degrees, there is chills, heavy sweating, you can give an antipyretic. We must not forget about drinking plenty of fluids.
Prescribed drugs for the treatment of specific types of illness should be given to the child strictly on the recommendation of a doctor. These may be antibiotics, antihistamines, antivirals, ointments and drops.
The condition necessary to ensure that treatment does not take too long and complications do not harm vision is systematic, daily monitoring of the condition of the eyes. If the prescribed medicine does not bring improvement within two to three days, it is recommended to visit the ophthalmologist again.

Eye wash

Washing is carried out up to ten times a day. Use warm boiled water, saline or solutions of salt, furatsilin, decoctions of chamomile, sage or brewed tea. All rinsing liquids are cooled to a pleasant temperature to avoid scalding.

In this way, the eyes are cleansed of pus, mucus and all crusts. Always remember:

Rinsing is done with a damp cotton pad from the outer to the inner corner of the eye, from the temple to the side of the nose.
Always take two cotton pads, one for each eye. This is a must for washing and will prevent the transfer of bacteria and viruses.

Drops for conjunctivitis for children

Drops are divided into several groups:

Antibiotics(Tobrex, Levomycetin, Floxal)
Antiviral(Poludan, Oftalmoferon)
Antibacterial(Albucid or Sulfacyl sodium)

How to put eye drops correctly

With clean hands, put the drops into a disposable pipette, pull back the baby's lower eyelid and instill it into the conjunctival sac. The medicine is used only at room temperature, having been taken out of the refrigerator in advance.

Ointments for conjunctivitis

They produce ointments of the following groups:

Antibiotics (Erythromycin, Tetracycline)
Antiviral (Zovirax, Tebrofenovaya)

They are prescribed to be placed behind the lower eyelid three to five times a day. After the procedure, be sure to ask the child to blink several times so that the product spreads over the entire surface of the eye.

Conjunctivitis is an inflammatory disease characterized by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyeball. This condition often occurs in childhood, so the most common treatment for conjunctivitis in children.

Most often, this disease develops in a child after hypothermia, during acute respiratory infections, as well as during allergic reactions.

In this topic, we want to tell you what causes and what symptoms manifest conjunctivitis, as well as how this disease is treated in children.

In children under 3 years of age, the causes of conjunctivitis may be the following:

hit pathogens on the mucous membrane of the eye;
hypothermia of the body;
allergy;
irritation of the mucous membranes of the eyes;
rhinitis;
acute respiratory viral infections;
dry eye syndrome.

In newborns, conjunctivitis may appear due to initiation of the mucous membrane of the eyes during passage through the mother's birth canal. The second most common cause of conjunctivitis in children under one year of age is infection in the eyes medical personnel or the mother when caring for the baby if they do not follow the rules of hygiene.

How does conjunctivitis manifest in children?

In children under 3 years of age, inflammation of the eye mucosa can manifest itself with symptoms such as:

conjunctival hyperemia;
swelling of the eyelids;
pain in the eyeball when exposed to bright light;
yellow crusts on the eyelids and eyelashes;
sticking of the palpebral fissure after sleep;
tearfulness;
discharge of pus from the palpebral fissure;
sleep disturbance;
increased body temperature;
general weakness;
moodiness;
decreased appetite.

In children over three years of age, the listed symptoms include blurred vision, a feeling of sand, burning and a feeling of dryness in the eyes.

The child will also have symptoms of the underlying disease that caused conjunctivitis.

Types of conjunctivitis

Depending on the cause, conjunctivitis is divided into bacterial, viral and allergic.

For bacterial conjunctivitis characteristic moderate swelling eyelids and discharge of purulent contents from the eyes, which can dry out and stick together the palpebral fissure.

Viral conjunctivitis manifested by slight swelling of the eyelids, redness of the mucous membrane of the eyes and serous discharge from the palpebral fissure, photophobia, as well as enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes.

At allergic conjunctivitis symptoms appear after contact with the allergen. Evidence in favor of allergies severe itching in the eyes, mucous discharge and swelling of the eyelids, which are accompanied by rhinitis, urticarial dermatitis and other allergic symptoms.

Principles of proper treatment of conjunctivitis in children

When treating conjunctivitis, you must adhere to the following rules:

Do not use any medications until examined by a specialist. The only remedy that can be used in children without consulting an ophthalmologist is Albucid drops;
for allergic conjunctivitis, the child should be given an antihistamine; children under two years old can be given L-cet or Eden syrup, and older children - Erius, Claritin, Cetrin and others;
when confirmed by a specialist purulent conjunctivitis it is necessary to wash the child’s eyes with chamomile decoction or furatsilin solution (one tablet per 125 ml boiled water) 3-5 times a day. The eyes are washed strictly in the direction from the outer corner to the inner. A new gauze pad is also used for each eye;
under no circumstances should a bandage be applied to the eye, as this creates favorable conditions for the spread of infection;
eye drops, prescribed by a doctor, are instilled every 2-3 hours in the acute period, gradually reducing the frequency of their use to 3 times a day. The same applies to eye ointments;
Before carrying out any procedure, you must wash your hands thoroughly with soap.

How to properly apply eye drops to a child?

When putting drops in a child’s eyes, you need to adhere to the following algorithm actions.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap.
Take the drops and check their expiration date. Under no circumstances should you use overstitched medications.
Hold the bottle of drops in your palms for a while if they were stored in the refrigerator.
Place the baby on a changing table or any other surface without a pillow.
Take a glass pipette with a rounded end. When instilling eye drops into infants, you can use only such a pipette so as not to injure the eye.
Place the medicine in a dropper, move the lower eyelid down and place one or two drops into the eye. Blot off any excess drops with a gauze pad. Use a new tissue for each eye!

If the child turns his head a lot, find a “helper” in advance who will hold him. Older children may deliberately close their eyes, but there is nothing to worry about: drop the medicine between the eyelids. When the child opens his eye, the drops will fall on the mucous membrane.

How are different types of conjunctivitis treated?

The following methods and means can be used to treat bacterial conjunctivitis:

instilling Albucid or Levomycetin drops into the eyes;
placing tetracycline ointment behind the eyelids;
washing the eyes with furatsilin solution.

If conjunctivitis occurs in children under 1 year of age and at an older age against the background viral infection, which is caused by adenoviruses, enteroviruses, herpes viruses, Coxsackie viruses, etc., then treatment must necessarily include antiviral agents. The drugs of choice in this case may be Viferon, Zorivax, Acyclovir, Actipol and others.

When conjunctivitis of allergic etiology has been diagnosed, the allergen most often in one-year-old children is household dust, medications, animal hair and food.

In older children, the range of allergens expands significantly. A specialist - an allergist - will help determine the nature of the allergen.

First of all, in case of allergic conjunctivitis, it is necessary to stop the action and eliminate contact with the allergen. The antiallergic drugs and drops that we talked about earlier will help reduce the manifestations of the disease.

Treatment of conjunctivitis at home with folk remedies

Conjunctivitis should be treated with folk remedies at home with extreme caution and only after consultation with a specialist.

The effect occurs most quickly when treated with folk remedies such as Dill water, aloe juice, black tea.

Aloe juice, diluted with boiled water in a ratio of 1:10, is instilled into the eye once a day, two drops. You can also do this natural medicine soak a cotton pad and apply it to the eyelids of the inflamed eye for 10 minutes.

Dill water and unsweetened black tea are used to wash the eyes twice a day.

Doctor Komarovsky about the treatment of conjunctivitis

According to Komarovsky, the treatment of conjunctivitis in developed countries of the world is not carried out by ophthalmologists, but by ordinary pediatricians and family doctors. The doctor agrees that children under 1 year of age are more prone to conjunctivitis than older children, and explains this by the fact that their the immune system still not strong enough.

The pediatrician emphasizes that most conjunctivitis goes away on its own. But regardless of this, you definitely need to visit a specialist with your child, since irreversible visual impairment may occur.

Also the doctor says that the only thing adequate treatment purulent inflammation mucous membrane of the eyes - local antibiotic therapy: antibiotic drops throughout the day, and at night - antibacterial ointment. In addition, the famous TV doctor recalls strict adherence burial rules eye drops so as not to cause infection or damage the mucous membrane of the eye.

We think everything is clear to you regarding treatment, but it is better to prevent the development of conjunctivitis. To do this, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:

maintain personal hygiene and teach this child;
wash your child's hands frequently;
The child must have his own towel;
Wash your baby’s toys regularly;
maintain cleanliness in the room where the child is;
ventilate the room;
install a device in the room that purifies and humidifies the air;
give your child only high-quality food;
provide the baby with a balanced and fortified diet;
exclude contacts with children suffering from viral and bacterial infections;
enough time to spend with your child in the fresh air.

Timely and properly selected therapy will help to quickly cope with conjunctivitis in a child and avoid complications. Self-medication can harm your baby, so if symptoms of inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eyes appear, immediately seek help from a pediatrician or ophthalmologist.

Watch a video about conjunctivitis.

Not so with children rare disease, and it mainly develops against the background of violation of hygiene rules. But there are other causes of inflammation, therefore, if symptoms of conjunctivitis appear in a child, treatment at home should be started only after consulting a doctor.

Causes and symptoms of childhood conjunctivitis

Inflamed eyes are hard to miss: they are swollen and red, and pus may accumulate on the eyelashes and in the corners. At the same time, the child becomes lethargic and capricious, constantly cries, rubs his eyes with his little hands.

Symptoms such as:

Photophobia.
Sticking of eyelids.
Deterioration of appetite and sleep.
Tearing.

Older children may complain of burning eyes and discomfort, foreign body sensation, and vision problems.

Causes of childhood conjunctivitis

The main causes of childhood conjunctivitis: viral and bacterial infections. An accurate diagnosis must be made by a doctor (ophthalmologist), who will also prescribe treatment. Usually this eye ointments and drops, eye wash solutions. If the cause of inflammation is an allergy, antihistamines are prescribed and it is recommended to avoid contact with the allergen (dust, fur, pollen, etc.).

For get well soon some rules must be followed: parents must wash their hands with soap before medical procedures. You also need to keep your child’s hands clean, cut his nails in a timely manner, and provide him with a towel. To treat each eye you need to use a separate piece of cotton wool, disk or swab.

Important! You cannot prepare infusions or solutions for washing your eyes for future use; they should always be fresh.

First aid for eye inflammation

Often conjunctivitis is a symptom of the development infectious diseases Therefore, it is necessary to carefully consider the child’s condition. Need to check The lymph nodes and examine the throat, measure the temperature (antipyretics are given only if it exceeds 38 C). It is not always possible to see a doctor immediately, so parents must themselves help the child:

Be sure to rinse your eyes to relieve the condition and prevent further development of the infection.
Call a specialist if the child has too high a temperature, chills, or cough.
Clean children's eyes from purulent crusts before visiting a doctor.

Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye can occur in every child, regardless of age. Even in the first hours after birth, babies can develop conjunctivitis. The symptoms of this disease bring a lot of unpleasant emotions to the child. Treatment is required immediately to prevent unwanted and dangerous complications.

The most common types

There are many reasons that lead to conjunctivitis. Scientists number more than a hundred of them. For simplicity and convenience of diagnosis, doctors use clinical classifications. In them, all variants of conjunctivitis are divided taking into account various reasons that cause the disease.

All conjunctivitis, which is most common in children, can be divided into several groups.

Caused by bacterial flora

They occur when bacteria enter the mucous membrane of the eye. They are the most common among all inflammatory ophthalmological diseases in children. The disease is quite severe. Usually incubation period is 10-14 days. Treatment requires antibiotics. It is not advisable to treat bacterial conjunctivitis at home on your own.

Viral

Second most common in children. Called various viruses. The most common sources of disease in childhood are adenoviruses. The disease is usually relatively mild. Suppuration and fever to febrile levels occur in 10% of cases. Passes viral conjunctivitis usually within a week. Mild forms of the disease can be treated at home, under the supervision of a doctor.

Allergic

They occur as a manifestation of allergies. Often develop in children with developmental tendencies similar diseases. Symptoms of conjunctivitis are accompanied by other manifestations of exacerbation allergic reaction. Children's well-being suffers greatly, their mood and sleep deteriorate. Treatment is provided immediately.

Traumatic

They occur if the baby accidentally damages the mucous membrane of the eye. Immediate consultation with an ophthalmologist is required. After additional examinations and conducting tests on special equipment, the doctor will determine the tactics and tell you whether the child can be treated at home.

Conjunctivitis resulting from other chronic diseases. Often such variants of the disease occur in children with exacerbations of otitis media or sinusitis. In some cases, diseased teeth can also lead to symptoms of conjunctivitis. With this option it is necessary primary treatment causative disease that caused the inflammatory process.

Dr. Komarovsky will tell us the whole topic about childhood conjunctivitis in the next video.

Variety of options and clinical forms The disease does not allow us to unequivocally state that every conjunctivitis can be treated at home. There are forms of the disease that are not life-threatening for the baby - and therefore can easily be treated at home.

However, first of all, you should show the child to a pediatrician and an ophthalmologist. They will install accurate diagnosis and tell mommy further treatment tactics.

Main symptoms

The inflammatory disease occurs with a huge number of different clinical manifestations. They can vary significantly among children of different ages.

How to massage the lacrimal canal for conjunctivitis can be seen in the following video.

The most common symptoms of conjunctivitis are:

Tearing. Occurs in all variants of the course of the disease. Typically appears first on early stages diseases. Babies are bothered by severe lacrimation throughout the day. In most cases, the discharge is light and abundant. To eliminate this symptom, eye rinsing is mandatory.
Redness. Occurs in all forms of conjunctivitis. Often the entire white surface of the eyeball turns red. IN severe cases hemorrhage may occur.
Sensation of “sand” in the eyes. Children often complain about a subjective feeling of the presence of some foreign object when opening the eyes. Trying to remove it, children begin to blink more often. This increases pain and impairs vision.
Discharge of pus. Occurs in bacterial and chlamydial forms of the disease. Suppuration, as a rule, occurs in both eyes at the same time. Pus sticks the eyelashes together and makes blinking difficult. To remove discharge from the eyes, regular washing is required using special solutions or decoctions.
Painful perception of sunlight. The irritated and damaged mucous membrane of the eyes is very sensitive to insolation. In the first days of the disease, babies feel better in dark rooms or while sleeping.
Violation general condition child. During acute period sick children begin to be capricious and eat poorly. Older children do not play with toys. Kids become weak and drowsy. Sleep brings temporary relief.

We treat at home

Conjunctivitis of any etiology is sufficient dangerous disease for babies. At the first sign of inflammation in the eyes, be sure to show your child to the doctor. It's better to consult a specialist. Sometimes quickly curing conjunctivitis at home becomes a very difficult task. Often, additional tests and auxiliary tests are required to establish a diagnosis. They help to accurately establish the diagnosis and choose the right treatment.

Conjunctivitis can be treated quite well. As a rule, in case of illness viral etiology in quite mild flow Doctors allow treatment at home. Any therapy inflammatory disease the eye requires a whole complex therapeutic procedures. Daily execution treatment recommendations will allow in short time eliminate adverse symptoms of the disease and speed up recovery.

For the treatment of the inflammatory process in the eyes, the following is used:

Hygienic washing of the eyes. A variety of decoctions and infusions are used for this procedure. Chamomile is an excellent option for kids of any age. This flower helps relieve symptoms of the inflammatory process and has antiseptic effect. Soak cotton pads in the previously prepared decoction and rinse. This should be done in the direction from outer corner eyes to nose. In this case, the possibility of injury or infection is reduced to zero.
Prescribing medicinal drops for the eyes. They are usually prescribed by a doctor. Eye drops are selected taking into account the cause that caused specific disease. For bacterial conjunctivitis the prescription of drugs with a bactericidal effect is required. Doctors often prescribe albucid, chloramphenicol or tetracycline ointment. Antibiotics are usually prescribed for 7-10 days. In some cases - up to two weeks.

Taking angistamines. This is necessary for allergic conjunctivitis. All antihistamines reduce inflammation and exacerbation of allergies. The most commonly prescribed are Claritin, Zyrtec, Erius and many others. Antihistamines take 10-14 days (depending on the severity of the initial manifestations).
Taking vitamins and microelements. During acute illness doctors prescribe vitamin complexes. They help strengthen the immune system and promote rapid recovery. For a month from the onset of the disease, you should take tablets or effervescent vitamins. Special attention it is worth paying attention to sufficient income ascorbic acid. Vitamin C strengthens the walls of blood vessels and also helps fight any infection.