How to quickly cure conjunctivitis in a child. Traditional medicine. Use of eye drops and medicated ointments

In children, conjunctivitis is a very common disease that almost every child encounters. Unfortunately, not all parents understand the importance of a visit to an ophthalmologist if their child has such an illness, and the choice of medications is entrusted to the employee of the nearest pharmacy, without taking into account the specific symptoms and condition of the baby. For this reason, very often the disease becomes complicated and can become chronic.

Causes of the disease

Doctors identify several main factors that provoke the occurrence of conjunctivitis in children, but they are all associated with the penetration of harmful microorganisms into the eye shell.

If the disease is bacterial in nature, then the inflammation affects both eyes at the same time. If the cause is an infection, then, as a rule, the disease begins in one eye and only after a few days moves to the second. Allergic conjunctivitis also occurs, and sometimes the disease can also have a fungal etiology.

The causative agents can be different microbes, but the most dangerous of them are chlamydia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which cause illness in acute form. In this case, conjunctivitis can greatly change the cornea, literally beyond recognition.

As a rule, the disease occurs more often in preschoolers than in older children or adolescents. Especially for those who attend kindergarten. And it is much more difficult, since children are not yet able to comply with all the requirements and maintain personal hygiene. In a preschool institution, such a disease is transmitted almost instantly through things, toys or dirty hands.

Infants can get this disease from their mother already at the time of birth if the birth canal is infected, as well as with further improper care.

Symptoms of conjunctivitis in children

The disease develops gradually; at the initial stage, only redness of the eye and some discomfort appear, as if a small speck were ingested. But after some time, signs of significant inflammation appear, which are usually always the same.

Following the redness of the infected eye, the child exhibits other symptoms of conjunctivitis:

Almost immediately after the appearance of such symptoms, the baby’s appetite worsens, sleep is disturbed, he becomes capricious, irritable and lethargic.

Older children may note:

• Decreased visual acuity of the inflamed eye;
• General discomfort;
• Feeling of a speck or other foreign body;
• Burning sensation;
• Quite intense itching.

Infants under one year old, of course, cannot talk about what bothers them and how. Therefore, a disease can be suspected if the baby constantly cries and tries to involuntarily rub his eyes, from which any discharge is observed.

The intensity of symptoms will vary for each child, depending on his health and the state of his immune system. In weak babies, swelling of the eyelids can spread to most of the face, and the disease itself can be accompanied by high fever.

Treatment at home

When treating conjunctivitis in a child at home, you should not prescribe any medications yourself. medications, because for effective treatment it is important to correctly determine the cause of the disease. Treatment can be different, and in each case it is individual. Most often, doctors prescribe drops and ointments.

Drops for conjunctivitis for children

Doctors very often prescribe Albucid drops to children for various eye diseases, but they should not be used. Such a solution, falling on the surface eyeball and conjunctiva, causes severe burning. Because of this, babies subsequently begin to cry loudly as soon as they see the bottle, trying to avoid the procedure. In addition, the effectiveness of such drops is not very high.

It is better to use a solution of Levomycetin, which does not cause any discomfort. You can even drop such drops on a sleeping baby by lifting the eyelid. The procedure should be carried out about 6 – 8 times during the day.

There are special rules for using eye drops for children:

• The drops must be warm so as not to cause unnecessary irritation;
• You need to use special pipettes with a rounded tip, different for each eye;
• Only 1 drop should be instilled, since a larger volume cannot fit into the conjunctival sac;
• The drop must be injected into the middle part of the eye so that the medicine itself is distributed over the entire surface;
• Excess leaking from the eye should be blotted with sterile wipes.

Ointments for conjunctivitis

Treatment of conjunctivitis with drops can only be carried out in daytime, at night it is better to put an eye ointment behind the eyelid, for example, Tetracycline or Erythromycin. This will allow both the baby and his mother to get enough sleep.

Tetracycline-based ointment is contraindicated in children under 8 years of age and can often cause allergies, but Erythromycin is used even to treat newborns.

Ointments have a longer lasting effect, but they must be applied very carefully, about half an hour after administering the drops, and only in cases where they have been prescribed by a doctor, prescribing the exact dosage.

If there is discharge of pus or mucus, then neither drops nor ointments will have any effect. Before carrying out medical procedures and administering drugs, the inflamed eyes should be washed, removing any existing accumulations of harmful substances from them.

How to wash eyes for conjunctivitis in children

Warm infusions can be used to wipe and wash sore eyes. medicinal chamomile or loose leaf tea, slightly diluted potassium permanganate (pale pink) or well-boiled water. You need to moisten sterile cotton swabs with the prepared mixture, squeeze them lightly and wipe the baby’s eyes, removing dried crusts and existing discharge.

For older children, compresses can be applied before wiping, especially in the morning, for more easy removal a purulent mass that has adhered to the eyelashes overnight. But wiping should be done with clean tampons, and not those used for compresses.

You need to wipe children's eyes very carefully, using different pieces of sterile soft gauze or cotton wool for each, but do not press on the surface or rub the eyelids.

For infants under one year of age, they are often used for wiping and washing. breast milk, expressed during feeding. It should be applied to the surface of the eyes using a pipette and after a few minutes blotted with soft swabs soaked in milk.

Wiping in the presence of discharge should be carried out every time before instilling drops or performing other procedures.

Teenagers and school-age children can wash their eyes using a bath that must be boiled for about 10 minutes before each use. For the procedure, you usually take clean sterilized warm water (boiled for 8 - 12 minutes and cooled) or carefully strained chamomile decoction.

To rinse, you need to fill the bath with the prepared mixture, lean towards it, lowering the sore eye into the liquid, and blink it for about one minute. Children will not be able to perform this procedure on their own, so they are laid on their side and simply pour solution or water from a sterile pipette onto the inflamed eye so that the liquid does not get into the healthy eye.

Traditional medicine

Many people today prefer natural remedies offered by traditional medicine. Most of them have been tested for centuries and have high efficiency.

For the treatment of conjunctivitis in children with folk remedies, they suggest:

• The use of aromatic oils, in particular rose, lavender or chamomile, in the form of compresses. To do this, take some warm boiled water, add a few drops of the selected oil to it, soak cotton pads or swabs in the solution, squeeze lightly and apply to the eyes. Aromatherapy helps to effectively fight any infection.
• Applying a compress of aloe juice. To do this, the leaves of an adult plant should be kept in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks, wrapped in paper, then crushed and strained.
• Rinsing with a soda solution, for which ¼ part of a teaspoon of soda is added to ½ cup of warm boiled water. This method helps reduce existing inflammation.

• Rinsing with barberry decoction, for the preparation of which the bark of the roots of the plant is used, containing berberine, which has pronounced antibacterial properties. Dry root bark needs to be crushed, take ½ teaspoon of the prepared powder and cook for steam bath in a glass of water for about half an hour. Then strain and use the decoction for wiping, lotions and washing sore eyes.
• Boric acid solution for washing.
• Applying cold bread crumbs to the eyes.
• Instillation instead of drops castor oil(1 drop three times a day).
• Rinsing with a decoction of chamomile, as well as berries or elderberry flowers.

Disease prevention

The disease is highly contagious and spreads quickly among children, so it is important to recognize it in time and take action. Of course, this disease is much better prevented by avoiding situations that lead to its occurrence.

To do this, you should follow simple preventive measures:

• As early as possible, teach your child to wash his hands frequently with soap and follow simple rules personal hygiene;
• Do not touch your face, and especially your eyes, with dirty hands;
• In kindergarten, sports section, swimming pool or school, do not take other people’s towels and other items;
• Take a walk every day.

Parents should also take some measures:

• Ventilate your home daily and keep it clean;
• Humidify and ionize the air;
• When caring for a baby, thoroughly disinfect all items;
• Treat toys, especially those that the baby took with him to the garden or outside;
• Provide your child with adequate nutrition with plenty of vitamins;
• Strengthen the baby's immune system;
• Make sure that the baby does not come into contact with sick children or adults.

Komarovsky about conjunctivitis in children

According to the famous doctor Evgeniy Olegovich Komarovsky, there is some relationship between conjunctivitis and ordinary acute respiratory infections, since the mucous membranes of the mouth, upper respiratory tract and eyes are influenced by the same negative factors.

But for effective treatment, it is necessary to accurately determine the cause of the disease, remembering that it can have different etiologies (viral, fungal, bacterial or allergic). Treatment and choice of drugs always depends on the type of microorganism that caused the disease.

At the first signs of conjunctivitis, you should not instill Albucid in your child, which has low efficiency and delivers to the patient serious discomfort without identifying the etiology of the disease. This approach can greatly complicate the situation and lead to the need for more serious and long-term treatment. Therefore, if you discover symptoms of the disease, you should immediately consult a doctor without taking any measures before the examination.

drvision.ru

Conjunctivitis in children: symptoms, treatment at home

treatment of conjunctivitis in children

In today's article I will tell you how to treat conjunctivitis at home in children. Sooner or later, every child encounters this unpleasant disease. Conjunctivitis is often called the disease of dirty hands, partly this is correct and the disease can occur if the rules of personal hygiene are not followed. But besides this, it can be infectious or allergic.

My daughter was “lucky” and she suffered from conjunctivitis twice – the first time infectious, the second time allergic. If you have encountered this disease, then you know that it is not pleasant. But in the treatment of any of listed types For conjunctivitis at home, the most important thing is to start treatment as quickly as possible and follow some rules. We will talk to you in more detail about how to treat conjunctivitis at home in today’s article.

How to quickly cure conjunctivitis in a child at home

When treating conjunctivitis at home, in order to defeat it and quickly cure a child, you must follow a number of simple, but still very important rules. If you follow the rules listed below, your baby’s recovery will come much faster.

1. Don't forget about hygiene. This is perhaps one of the most important rules. It is necessary to maintain cleanliness in everything. Before starting the procedures, parents need to thoroughly wash their hands with soap and then wipe dry with a clean towel.
2. Children's hands. We also do not forget about the cleanliness of children's hands. They also need to be washed with soap several times a day. If your nails are branchy, be sure to cut them short. Otherwise, all your efforts will be in vain, because the baby will constantly rub his sore eyes with his hands.
3. To treat the eyes, you need to take disposable sterile swabs. Make sure that one eye is treated with one swab. When you finish treating the first eye, throw away the swab, take the next swab (also sterile) - and only after that do you start treating the second eye.
4. Infusions and solutions that you prepare for washing the eyes cannot be prepared for future use; they must be fresh, just prepared.
5. Ointments for the treatment of conjunctivitis in a child must be taken specifically for the eye, and not the usual one.
6. Drops are instilled into the conjunctival sac one at a time; it is useless to drip more, since the excess will flow out anyway.
7. Be sure to give each family member an individual towel. A child who suffers from conjunctivitis should also use only his own clean towel. Otherwise, there is a risk that the whole family will get conjunctivitis, since this disease is very contagious.

How and with what to treat allergic conjunctivitis in a child at home

Treatment allergic conjunctivitis in a child it is complicated by the fact that it can be difficult to isolate the child from the allergen. Upon contact with it, the baby’s eyes immediately begin to turn red and watery eyes appear. First of all, when treating allergic conjunctivitis, it is necessary to find out the cause of its occurrence (the allergen to which the child reacts) and, if possible, limit its exposure to the child. Unfortunately, this is not always possible; therefore, treatment of allergic conjunctivitis is often delayed for a long time.

After you notice that your baby is suffering from conjunctivitis, you need to consult a doctor (ophthalmologist), who will tell you how to treat allergic conjunctivitis and prescribe antihistamines eye drops and oral medications.

Viral conjunctivitis in children: symptoms and treatment with folk remedies

Most often, children become infected with viral conjunctivitis through a virus. First, the baby develops symptoms of ARVI, the parents, naturally, treat him with medications prescribed by the doctor. After some time, the child begins to suffer from symptoms of viral conjunctivitis, such as redness of the eyeballs, lacrimation, photophobia and “sand” in the eyes.

Viral conjunctivitis in children can be treated with folk remedies. Most often, grandmothers advise young mothers to use the old method, tried and tested by many generations: brew a strong tea infusion, strain, cool, after which you can begin treating the child for conjunctivitis, namely, rinse the child’s eyes with the resulting decoction several times during the day.

Calendula, chamomile and cornflower flowers also have an anti-inflammatory effect and are successfully used in the treatment of viral conjunctivitis in children. In order to treat the child with the listed means. They need to be brewed in a water bath, after which you can begin direct treatment: the child’s eyes are washed with the resulting herbal solution. You can also make compresses on the eyes from the resulting solution, but this method is suitable for older children who can sit quietly for a while. In order to make a compress, cotton wool is moistened in an herbal solution and applied to the child’s inflamed eyes. Treatment of viral conjunctivitis in children with folk remedies takes no more than a week, after which the baby can return to his previous rhythm of life.

How and with what to treat bacterial conjunctivitis in a child

If a viral infection is joined by a bacterial one, then the use of antibiotics is no longer possible. Unfortunately, when treating bacterial conjunctivitis in a child, traditional methods are powerless. As with any other disease, the child must be shown to a doctor (ophthalmologist), who will examine the baby and prescribe an eye culture in order to find out what the bacteria that have settled in the baby’s eyes are sensitive to. And only after this the doctor will be able to prescribe medications to treat bacterial conjunctivitis in the child. As a rule, treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis comes down to two types of antibiotics - ointment and drops. In this case, the ointment must be placed behind the lower eyelid before putting the baby to daytime and night sleep. Drops for conjunctivitis are instilled 8-10 times during the day. Many parents are scared by the amount of drops they put into their child’s eyes, but their fears are in vain, since the antibiotic is not absorbed into the child’s body and acts locally.

How to treat purulent conjunctivitis in children

Purulent conjunctivitis in children manifests itself as the discharge of a large amount of pus from the child’s eyes. The child cannot open his eyes after sleep, as this is prevented by dried pus that comes out of the eyes. Also, crusts form on the eyelids (along the edges), which irritate the child’s inflamed eyes.

It is recommended to treat purulent conjunctivitis in children with drops of chloramphenicol (concentration 0.25%). Some parents use sodium sulfacyl (albucid) to treat purulent conjunctivitis in a child, but it is better to avoid these drops when treating conjunctivitis, since their effectiveness is very low, and the irritating effect on the child’s eyes is very high. In order to speed up a child’s recovery from conjunctivitis, it is recommended to instill drops into the eyes every hour, and to place tetracycline eye ointment under the eyelid before daytime and nighttime sleep.

Treatment of chronic conjunctivitis in children

Conjunctivitis in children can develop into chronic form, if treatment is completed ahead of time. In this case, the remaining bacteria begin to multiply again at lightning speed, but this time they no longer respond to antibiotics, which complicates treatment.

Treatment of chronic conjunctivitis in children begins with testing for sensitivity to antibiotics. After the test results are ready, the doctor, based on the data obtained, prescribes antibiotics that can cope with the infection.

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7ya-mama.ru

Conjunctivitis is a very common disease in children different ages. This disease is characterized by acute inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye and its cornea. Conjunctivitis is a contagious disease that can be passed on to others. Treating conjunctivitis in a child at home, when the first signs of the disease appear, can help prevent the development of the disease.

Types of conjunctivitis

To successfully and effectively eliminate the symptoms of the inflammatory process of the eyeball and cornea, it is necessary to know the causes of the disease. The following types of conjunctivitis are distinguished:

1. Allergic inflammation of the mucous membrane of a child's eye. This type of disease occurs due to the presence of various external stimuli. A characteristic feature Allergic conjunctivitis is a pronounced inflammation of both eyes of the child with simultaneous swelling of the lower and upper eyelids. To eliminate the symptoms of a disease, sometimes it is enough to simply eliminate the allergen that causes such a reaction. child's body. However, in any case, the child must be shown to an ophthalmologist. In order to eliminate allergic inflammation of the eyes, experts prescribe antihistamines.
2. Viral conjunctivitis. The disease occurs as a result of a virus entering the body that affects the mucous membrane of the baby’s eye. Symptoms may occur suddenly and include swelling of the eyelids, redness of the mucous membrane of the eyeball, photophobia, burning and itching. With a viral disease, purulent discharge is also observed. If symptoms of viral conjunctivitis appear, the child must be shown to a specialist to prescribe appropriate treatment.
3. Bacterial eye disease. This is the most common type of conjunctivitis and is caused by various pathogenic microorganisms. Once on the mucous membrane, bacteria cause a strong inflammatory process, which is accompanied by copious discharge of pus. Main pathogens bacterial disease usually streptococci and staphylococci.

Main symptoms and signs of the disease

Conjunctivitis in a child, regardless of its type, has the following characteristic signs and symptoms:

• Copious purulent discharge;
• Burning;
• Photophobia;
• Copious secretion of tears;
• Feeling of heat in the eyes;
• Swelling of the eyelids;
• Redness of the eyeball;
• Deterioration of vision, unclear visibility of objects.

Treatment of conjunctivitis in children at home

Timely elimination of the symptoms of conjunctivitis is an important factor that will eliminate the occurrence of various complications. Conjunctivitis in children, treatment at home which requires prior consultation with an ophthalmologist, usually resolves within 5-7 days. To speed up your baby’s recovery, it is important to follow the following rules:

1. When the first signs of disease occur, the child’s eyes must be washed with a solution of furatsilin or chamomile decoction every three hours.
2. Purulent crusts are carefully removed with cotton pads soaked in a decoction of medicinal herbs or disinfectant solution. It should be remembered that a separate cotton pad should be used for each eye.
3. If a child has one eye inflamed, the second one should also be washed, since the disease tends to quickly spread to the healthy mucous membrane.
4. In the presence of an inflammatory process, bandages and lotions should not be used, as they provoke the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms and can damage the diseased eyelids.
5. Conjunctivitis should be treated only with the medications and eye drops prescribed to the child by the ophthalmologist. The drops are carefully placed in the baby's eye, and the ointments are carefully placed under the lower eyelid.

Basic drugs for the treatment of eye inflammation in children

Assign medicines An ophthalmologist must be present, depending on the type of disease. To treat conjunctivitis in children at home, specialists usually prescribe the following types of medications:

Eye drops.

Preparations in the form of eye drop solutions effectively eliminate the symptoms and causes of the disease:

1. Albucid. Is an antibacterial drug wide range action, which is prescribed to combat streptococci, gonococci, chlamydia, pneumococci. Drops are prescribed for the treatment of viral and bacterial conjunctivitis.
2. Levomycetin solution. The medication contains an antibiotic that provides antimicrobial effect for a large number of microorganisms.
3. The drug Floxal. These eye drops contain the antibiotic ofloxacin, which effectively eliminates a large number of bacteria.
4. Oftalmoferon drops. This drug contains the active substance interferon and is prescribed for symptoms of viral conjunctivitis.
5. Medication Poludan. The drug contains a complex of polyribonucleotides, which is effective against herpes and various adenoviruses. Before dropping drops into the baby's eye, Poludan is diluted in purified water according to the instructions.

Eye ointments

Treatment of conjunctivitis is effective using special ointments. Often, the attending physician prescribes them simultaneously with eye drops:

1. Tetracycline ointment. This product contains an antibiotic of the same name, which prevents the growth of bacteria. The ointment should be placed behind the child's lower eyelid immediately before bedtime.
2. Erythromycin ointment. Eye ointment widely used in ophthalmology for the treatment of various eye conditions infectious diseases.
3. Zovirax. The composition of the eye ointment includes the active substance acyclovir. Applicable this drug mainly for the treatment of eye inflammation in children, which is caused by the herpes virus.
4. Tebrofen ointment. The drug is prescribed for viral conjunctivitis. The ointment prevents the spread of the virus and quickly and effectively eliminates the causes of the disease.

Traditional methods of treating conjunctivitis

Currently still relevant various recipes decoctions and infusions of medicinal plants that relieve inflammation and help treat the disease.

Treatment of eye conjunctivitis in children with folk remedies, on early stages effectively eliminates inflammation of the mucous membrane, relieves redness and swelling of the eyelids. The following popular remedies and recipes exist: traditional medicine:

1. Camomile tea. The flowers of this medicinal plant are poured with a small amount of boiling water and infused for an hour. The resulting solution is filtered and the child’s eyes are washed with it several times a day.
2. Bay leaf. A decoction of the leaves of this plant perfectly helps eliminate the symptoms of the disease. Part bay leaf includes phytoncides, which contain microelements and tannins. They relieve inflammation, itching, burning and swelling.
3. Dill. The baby's eyes are washed with freshly squeezed juice from the stems of this plant using cotton pads. Dill has anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects.
4. Sage. An infusion of the flowers and leaves of this plant should be used to wash sore eyes several times a day.
5. An excellent tool Traditional medicine is a decoction of aloe leaves. To prepare it, the fleshy leaves of the plant need to be poured with boiling water and allowed to brew a little. Strain the resulting mixture thoroughly and use it as a lotion and wash the eyes of children.

Compliance with personal hygiene rules, the use of medicines and traditional medicine will ensure quick release your baby from conjunctivitis.

Remember that only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis; do not self-medicate without consultation and diagnosis by a qualified doctor. Be healthy!

lechenie-baby.ru

Treatment of conjunctivitis in children at home

Inflammatory eye diseases are widespread in pediatric ophthalmological practice. Even babies are susceptible to such dangerous diseases from the very first days after birth. The peak incidence of conjunctivitis occurs at ages 2-7 years. Timely detection of the disease and prescribing adequate treatment will help to quickly cope with the unfavorable symptoms of the disease.

Today, scientists count more than a hundred different types of inflammatory diseases of the conjunctiva. They are caused by various reasons. Prescribing the correct treatment is always carried out after identifying the external agent that caused the disease. Only in this case is a complete recovery from the disease guaranteed.

Among the most common causes that can cause inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye are the following:

Bacteria. In children of the first years of life, the most common bacterial pathogens are streptococci and staphylococci. The rapid spread of such infections is typical for crowded groups. Children who attend an educational institution have more high risk infection. Bacterial infections, as a rule, are relatively severe and long-lasting. On average, the illness lasts from ten days to a couple of weeks. Such variants of the disease require the prescription of antibiotics.

Viruses. Most often, conjunctivitis can be caused by adenoviruses or herpes viruses. The duration of the disease is 5-7 days. When connecting a secondary bacterial infection- up to two to three weeks. For the treatment of such diseases, doctors prescribe special antiviral drugs.

Fungi. Infection is most common in children with severe immunodeficiencies. Children who have recently suffered from a cold or have many chronic pathologies are also susceptible to fungal conjunctivitis. The treatment is quite long. Various means are used, including tablets, to stimulate the immune system and eliminate adverse symptoms.

Allergy. In children with intolerance food products or acute reaction When plants bloom, symptoms of conjunctivitis also often occur. Allergic forms of the disease are characterized by severe swelling of the eyelids and severe itching. When examining objects, visual disturbances and double vision may occur.

Congenital forms. They arise during the intrauterine development of the baby. If future mom during pregnancy one gets sick infectious disease, then the baby can also easily become infected. The spread of infection occurs through the blood. Most viruses are very small in size and easily penetrate the placental barrier, causing inflammation.

• Traumatic injuries and violations of hygiene rules. The mucous membrane of the eye in babies is very sensitive to various external influences. A child, actively exploring the world by taste and color, can accidentally injure himself. After any damage, inflammation increases very quickly. In such cases, a mandatory consultation with a doctor is required.

Various reasons that can be sources of the disease lead to the development of an inflammatory process on the conjunctiva of the eye. Infectious diseases are characterized by an incubation period. So, for viral infections it is usually 5-7 days. Bacterial conjunctivitis appears after 6-10 days. Adverse symptoms of the disease in allergic and traumatic forms of the disease begin within a few hours from the moment of injury.

Regardless of the cause of the disease, the clinical manifestations of the disease with conjunctivitis are as follows:

• Redness of the eyes. Due to inflammation, the blood vessels of the eyes swell and protrude strongly above the mucous membrane. In most cases, this symptom occurs in both eyes at once. Exposure to sunlight causes increased redness and soreness.
• Burning and itching. Most often found in allergic forms. This symptom brings severe discomfort to the baby. The child tries to open his eyes less or blinks more often. Kids early age become whiny and capricious.
• Swelling of the eyelids. With the development of severe inflammation, all mucous membranes of the eye are damaged. The eyelids become swollen. The baby's face takes on a frowning and gloomy appearance. Due to severe swelling, vision may be impaired. In such cases, when viewing closely spaced objects, image clarity and even double vision may occur.
• Severe lacrimation. The discharge from the eyes is most often transparent. With a more unfavorable course of the disease, pus or even bloody discharge may appear. In this case, as a rule, a secondary bacterial infection occurs. Lacrimation increases during the daytime or in active sunlight.
• Violation of general health. The child may have a fever, runny nose, or congestion when breathing. Babies become more lethargic. Habitual activities and active games that bring joy do not evoke positive emotions in them. Babies become more sleepy and sleep a lot.

Similarity clinical manifestations at various options disease allows you to quickly suspect conjunctivitis and begin treatment. If minor symptoms of the disease appear, it can be treated at home.

For a speedy recovery, a whole range of therapeutic procedures is required.

In order to quickly cope with the adverse symptoms of conjunctivitis, compliance is required. a certain sequence actions. It's important to remember that everything hygiene procedures Be sure to use clean and sanitized hands! Before instilling medicinal drops and rinsing the child’s eyes, the mother should wash her hands with antibacterial soap and dry them thoroughly with a clean, ironed towel.

You should also remember that all items and hygiene products that touch the child’s eyes and face must be clean! During an acute period of illness, towels should be washed every day. Be sure to iron them on both sides with a hot iron before use. This will prevent the introduction of additional secondary bacterial infections.

Numerous methods are used to treat inflammatory diseases of the mucous membrane of the eyes. Will help cure conjunctivitis:

At home, various decoctions of plants and bactericidal agents are used. Chamomile flowers, calendula flowers, and weak tea infusion can be used safely and effectively. To cook decoction from the plant: take one tablespoon of crushed raw material and pour a glass of boiling water. Use glass containers for this. Close the container with a lid and leave for 40-60 minutes.

The eyes should be treated with clean cotton pads. It is not necessary to use sterile ones. Try to ensure that they are stored in a clean container. Be sure to use a separate cotton pad for each eye.

You can wash your eyes every 2-3 hours. The procedure should be performed from the inner corner to the nose. In this case, the likelihood of causing a bacterial infection or injuring the eye is minimal.

All decoctions and others medicinal solutions To treat the eyes, they should not be hot. Before washing, be sure to cool them to a comfortable temperature. Excessively hot decoctions can further injure the mucous membrane of the eye and increase inflammation.

The choice of such medications is made by the attending physician. A medical examination will allow you to accurately identify the causative agent of the disease, and therefore choose correct treatment. Today, a huge range of different medications is used in pediatric ophthalmological practice. Most often, medicinal ointments or eye drops are used to treat conjunctivitis.

To treat viral diseases, drugs are used that have a destructive effect on microorganisms. For viral variants of the disease, Oftalmoferon is quite effective. It can be used up to 5-6 times a day, 1-2 drops in each eye. This drug helps cope with unpleasant symptoms of the disease, such as lacrimation and severe redness of the eye.

Albucid is used to treat bacterial eye infections in babies from the first days of life. He has a minimum side effects and is well tolerated even by newborns. This medicine is often used in maternity hospitals to prevent gonorrheal infection.

Tetracycline ointment is one of the classic methods of treatment bacterial conjunctivitis. It is placed behind the damaged lower eyelid. The drug is slowly absorbed and distributed throughout the circulatory system of the eye. This contributes effective elimination unfavorable symptoms of the inflammatory process on the conjunctiva.

During the acute period of the disease, the child’s immune system is under severe stress. In order to help the child’s body cope with the unfavorable symptoms of the disease, you should definitely choose correct mode day. During the acute period of the disease, the child should sleep at least ten hours a day. Daytime nap for sick children it is 20-30% of the total sleep duration.

During illness, all children are prescribed special therapeutic nutrition. Each meal should be supplemented with protein foods. Poultry, veal or fish are excellent choices. For young children, it is necessary to include fermented milk products. The lacto- and bifidobacteria included in their composition will help strengthen the immune system and contribute to speedy recovery child.

In the first days of the disease, babies react quite sharply to strong light. Hit sun rays on the damaged mucous membrane contributes to its additional traumatization and intensifies all unfavorable symptoms. In children it increases pain syndrome, may occur severe lacrimation and eye irritation.

To quickly restore the mucous membrane, you should limit walks with your child in the first days of illness. To make the baby feel more comfortable, the children's room should be curtained with thick night curtains. During sleep, when the eyes are closed, the inflamed mucous membrane also quickly recovers and heals.

Treatment of conjunctivitis can be performed at home if the disease proceeds in sufficiently mild form. The question of the need for hospitalization must be decided pediatrician. If you see the first symptoms and manifestations of the disease, be sure to show your child to the doctor. With timely treatment, children quickly recover and return to their usual way of life.

How to treat conjunctivitis at home, see the video below.

Many mothers, noticing symptoms of conjunctivitis in children, sound the alarm - and this is absolutely right. After all, this eye disease can cause damage to the eyelids, and in particularly advanced cases, lead to the death of the cornea. If parents notice signs of the disease in time, they can use rinses, compresses and lotions to cure it themselves, without the help of an ophthalmologist.

What does conjunctivitis look like in children and the causes of the disease?

Conjunctivitis in children is a very common eye disease. It causes inflammation of the thin mucous membrane that covers the eyelids and eyeballs (this membrane is called the “conjunctiva”). The disease can occur in a child of any age. Conjunctivitis may also occur in children in the first months of life.

As a rule, the disease develops as a result of some infection getting into the eye. However, among the causes of conjunctivitis in children, harmful physical and chemical factors should also be mentioned (dust getting into the eyes, injury to the “conjunctiva” by a foreign body, irritation from smoke, dry air, hot air, household chemicals, etc.).

For the development of purulent conjunctivitis, a combination of several factors is necessary: poor sanitary and hygienic conditions, reduced body resistance, massiveness and high virulence of the infection. Once on the surface of the conjunctiva, the pathogen begins to multiply intensively and secrete toxins; the conjunctival membrane is irritated and an inflammatory reaction develops.

What does conjunctivitis look like in a child, and why is this disease dangerous? The general condition of the sick child does not suffer. One of the most characteristic symptoms of conjunctivitis is redness of the conjunctiva. The child complains of dry eyes, a feeling of heaviness in the eyes, and sometimes a burning sensation in the eyes.

Waking up in the morning, the child cannot open his eyes, because... the eyelashes are glued together overnight by the drying discharge. Blinks frequently, rubs eyelids. In some cases, photophobia occurs.

Complications of conjunctivitis in children and prevention of the disease

If left untreated or insufficiently treated, the disease can last a long time. Scars may remain on the conjunctiva. Entropion of the eyelids is considered a complication of conjunctivitis in children. The most severe complication of this disease is purulent inflammation cornea with its subsequent death.

To prevent conjunctivitis in children, do regular ventilation in the rooms where the child is located; you need to ensure that the air is not too dusty and dry. Use a vacuum cleaner regularly while cleaning. Wet cleaning in residential areas should be done at least once a day.

It is very important to teach your child to observe the rules of personal hygiene (wash your hands and face with soap more often, do not rub your eyes with your hands if you are worried about itching, etc.). Any possibility of any chemical substances getting into the baby’s eyes must be excluded - detergents, cleaning products, washing powders, various pastes, etc. If the weather is windy, walks with the child should be avoided, since in such weather there is a high probability of dust and small foreign bodies (specks) getting into the eyes. In cases where a speck gets into the eye, use clean (recently washed, well rinsed and ironed) tissues to remove it.

What to do if a child has conjunctivitis: treatment at home

Having identified the symptoms of conjunctivitis, treatment can begin even before visiting a doctor. If the disease is just beginning, and its manifestations are still mild, the mother can quickly cure it without the help of an ophthalmologist. Next, you will learn how to treat conjunctivitis in children at home.

To wash a child's eyes, you can use:

• warm solution of furatsilin.
• Also, to treat conjunctivitis in children, you can use a weak brew of black long tea;
• solution of table salt (preferably iodized); preparation of the solution: dilute 1 teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm boiled water, filter through several layers of sterile gauze;
• infusion of chamomile flowers; preparing the infusion: 1-2 tablespoons of dried, crushed flowers, pour 200 ml of boiling water and leave in a sealed container for about an hour, filter the infusion through several layers of sterile gauze; use warm.
• When treating conjunctivitis in a child at home, you can wash the eyes daily with a warm decoction of cinnamon rose hips. Preparation of the decoction: 1 tablespoon of dried, well-chopped rose hips, pour 200 ml of water and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, quickly cool the product, strain through 2-3 layers of sterile gauze; wash sore eyes several times a day;
• wash the child’s eyes with a warm infusion of tricolor violet herb; preparing the infusion: pour 1 tablespoon of dried raw materials, crushed into powder, with a glass of boiling water and leave under the lid at room temperature for about 30 minutes, strain the finished infusion through 2-3 layers of sterile gauze; wash the child’s inflamed eyes with this remedy 1-2 times a day (can be alternated with the use of other means; this will only make the treatment more effective); Let us remind you: you need to instill the infusion into the inner corner of the eye, while holding the baby’s head in such a way that the infusion flows out from the outer corner of the eye and so that it does not get into the other eye.
• A good folk remedy for conjunctivitis in children is to wash the eyes with a warm infusion of aloe vera leaves. Preparation of infusion: 1 teaspoon of fresh, finely chopped aloe leaves, pour 100 ml of boiling water and leave for about 30 minutes, strain through a fine strainer or 1 layer of sterile gauze;
• wash your eyes with warm infusion of St. John's wort flowers and leaves; preparation of infusion: pour 5-6 g of dried raw materials into a preheated container, pour a glass of boiling water and leave, covered, for 15-20 minutes, strain through 2-3 layers of sterile gauze, squeeze out the remaining raw materials that have absorbed water through the same gauze; wash your eyes several times a day;
• for regular eye rinsing purulent conjunctivitis for a child, use a warm infusion of rhizomes with marshmallow roots; preparing the infusion: pour 1 teaspoon of dried, powdered rhizome into a thermos, preheated hot water, pour a glass of boiling water and leave for several hours, strain through 2-3 layers of sterile gauze, squeeze out the raw materials that have absorbed the water through the same gauze;
• for purulent conjunctivitis, wash the child’s eyes with a warm infusion of the herb creeping thyme (thyme); preparing the infusion: thoroughly grind the dried herb with a pestle in a mortar, place 1 tablespoon of the raw material in an enamel bowl of a suitable container, pour a glass of boiling water and heat in a hot, but not boiling, water bath for about 15 minutes, then infuse the product at room temperature for 45 minutes, strain through 2-3 layers of sterile gauze, squeeze out the remaining raw material through the same gauze, add boiled water to bring the product volume to the original volume; It is recommended to use a freshly prepared product - before the very valuable essential oil has evaporated from it; if the product needs to be preserved for several hours, then it should be stored in a container with a tight-fitting lid (a thermos is good for this).

It is recommended to alternate the use of these products. In total, you can do 8-10 eye washes per day. When rinsing, it is unacceptable for the product used to flow from one eye to the other. It is especially important to be careful when rinsing if only one eye is infected - the infection from the diseased eye can spread to the healthy one.

What else can you do when a child has conjunctivitis to relieve redness and save the baby from pain symptoms? After washing the eyes, after cleansing the eyelids from dried discharge, you need to resort to instillation of a 10% solution of albucid; It is enough for a child to drop 1 to 3 drops of this solution into the sore eye.

It is also useful to give your baby a freshly squeezed drink every day. carrot juice; The mother should discuss the amount of juice that the child can take according to his age with the local pediatrician.

Here you can see a photo of the treatment of conjunctivitis in children using rinses:

How to treat conjunctivitis in children at home: compresses

How else can you treat conjunctivitis in children at home using folk remedies? Compresses (lotions) on the eyes are very effective (perform the procedure: moisten a sterile gauze swab with a warm solution and apply it to the eyes for 15 minutes; this should be done several times a day).

• Infusion with marshmallow root; preparing the infusion: 2-3 teaspoons of dried, thoroughly crushed root, pour 200 ml of cold boiled water and leave in a sealed container for up to 8 hours, filter through several layers of sterile gauze;
• For the treatment of conjunctivitis in children using folk remedies, an infusion of fragrant dill herbs or seeds is effective. Preparation of infusion: pour 1 tablespoon of dry raw material into 300 ml of boiling water and infuse in a sealed container, wrapped in a towel, for about half an hour, filter through several layers of sterile gauze;
• make regular lotions with a warm infusion of common raspberry leaves; preparing the infusion: pour 2 tablespoons of dried, well-crushed leaves with a glass of boiling water and leave under the lid, tightly wrapping the bowl with a towel, for 30-40 minutes, strain the finished infusion through 2-3 layers of sterile gauze.
• When treating conjunctivitis in a child at home, you can use a warm decoction of the herb tripartite for systematic lotions; Preparation of the decoction: pour 1 tablespoon of dried, well-crushed raw material into a glass of water and cook at low boil for about 15 minutes, strain through 2-3 layers of sterile gauze.
• Another effective folk remedy for the treatment of conjunctivitis in children is lotions with a warm infusion prepared from the following collection of medicinal plants: peppermint herb - 1 part, large plantain leaves - 1 part, European ungulate leaves - 1 part, blueberry leaves - 1 part, rhizomes with roots of elecampane - 1 part, dill fruits - 1 part. Preparation of the infusion: place 1 tablespoon of the dried, well-ground mixture in a preheated thermos, pour a glass of boiling water and leave for several hours, then strain through 2-3 layers of sterile gauze; moisten a sterile gauze swab with warm infusion and apply it to the inflamed eyes for about 10-12 minutes.

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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 separated taking into account the various causes 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 ophthalmic 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. Caused by various viruses. Most often in childhood The sources of the disease are adenoviruses. The disease is usually relatively mild. Suppuration and fever to febrile levels occur in 10% of cases. Viral conjunctivitis usually resolves 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 tests using 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.

The variety of variants and clinical forms of the disease does not allow us to say unequivocally 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 establish an 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. As a rule, it appears first in the early stages of the disease. 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 of a subjective feeling of the presence of some foreign object when opening their 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 the acute period of the disease, 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, for diseases of viral etiology with a fairly mild course, doctors allow treatment at home. Any therapy for inflammatory eye disease requires a whole range of therapeutic procedures. Daily implementation of treatment recommendations will allow you to quickly eliminate the unfavorable 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 the 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 are taken for 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. Particular attention should be paid to sufficient intake of ascorbic acid. Vitamin C strengthens the walls of blood vessels and also helps fight any infection.

Thank you

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye caused by for various reasons. In principle, the correct name for the disease is conjunctivitis, but this spelling is complex and unusual for perception, therefore in the further text of the article the familiar term “conjunctivitis” will be used.

Conjunctivitis in children over one year of age - general characteristics of the disease

When any pathogenic, opportunistic microorganisms or irritating substances enter the conjunctiva, it becomes inflamed, which is accompanied by typical clinical symptoms. Since children very often rub their eyes with their hands, play in the dust, take dirty toys and introduce a huge number of germs into them in other ways, conjunctivitis in childhood is a fairly common disease.

Children are susceptible to conjunctivitis not only due to the openness of the eye to numerous negative factors environment and behavioral characteristics of children, but also due to the immaturity of the mechanisms of general and local immunity. This means that conjunctivitis in a child can occur due to the penetration of pathogenic microbes from the ENT organs during a common cold, since the mechanisms local immunity they are not neutralized. However, this eye disease in children it occurs in exactly the same way as in adults and is treated according to the same algorithms and principles.

Conjunctivitis in an infant - general characteristics of the process and algorithm of action for adults when signs of eye inflammation appear

Conjunctivitis in newborns

As you can see, the source of infection for the development of conjunctivitis in a newborn baby is the mother or medical staff, not following the rules of antiseptics. However, most often the child is infected by a mother suffering from untreated sexually transmitted infections. Typically, a newborn is infected with chlamydia or gonococci present in the genital tract of the mother. In this case, conjunctivitis develops literally in the first days after birth and requires treatment in a hospital setting, since it is potentially dangerous for the baby. Treatment of chlamydial or gonococcal (gonoblenorrhea) conjunctivitis in newborns lasts up to 2–3 months.

Currently, to prevent conjunctivitis in newborns, in the first hours after birth, infants are given eye drops with specially prepared antibiotic solutions. This practice makes it possible to effectively prevent conjunctivitis in newborns, reducing the likelihood of their development to 1 - 2%, even if the baby was born to a woman suffering from untreated sexually transmitted infections.

Types of conjunctivitis in children

• Bacterial conjunctivitis;
• Chlamydial conjunctivitis;
• Viral conjunctivitis;
• Fungal conjunctivitis;
• Allergic conjunctivitis;
• Contact conjunctivitis.

Children often develop contact conjunctivitis after visiting pools or swimming in open water, since water coming into contact with the eyes irritates them and provokes an inflammatory process. However, 70–80% of conjunctivitis in children are viral or bacterial. Allergic conjunctivitis in children develops relatively rarely, and fungal conjunctivitis develops very rarely.

Based on the nature of the inflammatory process, conjunctivitis in children is divided into acute and chronic. As a rule, children have acute conjunctivitis, which begins suddenly and ends after 5 - 7 days or 2 - 3 weeks, depending on the cause of the inflammatory process, full recovery. Chronic conjunctivitis in children is very rare.

Depending on the nature of the inflammatory process and morphological changes in the mucous membrane of the eye, conjunctivitis is divided into the following types:

• Catarrhal conjunctivitis (there is only mucous discharge without admixture of pus);
• Purulent conjunctivitis (discharge contains pus);
• Membranous conjunctivitis (thin films form on the surface of the mucous membrane);
• Follicular conjunctivitis (small pinkish blisters called follicles form on the mucous membrane of the upper eyelid).

Causes of conjunctivitis in children

• Pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria (staphylococci, streptococci, gonococci, meningococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, etc.);
• Chlamydia;
• Viruses (adenoviruses and herpes viruses);
• Pathogenic fungi.

All of the listed causes of conjunctivitis cause the disease only if they manage to get onto the mucous membrane of the child’s eye. Unfortunately, the child constantly rubs his eyes, is in contact with other children and numerous substances that have the potential irritating effect, which makes the risk of developing conjunctivitis very high compared to that of an adult.

How is conjunctivitis transmitted in children?

Viral conjunctivitis can be isolated or develop against the background of a viral infection (for example, measles, rubella, influenza, ARVI, etc.). Isolated viral conjunctivitis develops when the virus enters directly into the mucous membrane of the eye. However, conjunctivitis often develops against the background of a viral infection and is called associated. This happens because viruses easily enter the eyes from the ENT organs (nose, mouth, throat, etc.). In this case, conjunctivitis is considered one of the symptoms of a current viral infection, for example, measles, chickenpox or adenovirus. Transmission of isolated and associated conjunctivitis occurs by contact or airborne droplets.

Allergic conjunctivitis is determined by the individual characteristics of the functioning of the child’s immune system, and contact conjunctivitis depends on the effects of various potential irritants on the mucous membrane of the eye. Therefore, a child with allergic or contact conjunctivitis is not dangerous to others, because the disease will not be transmitted to other children under any circumstances.

Conjunctivitis in children - symptoms

General symptoms of any conjunctivitis in children

• Edema of the conjunctiva;
• Redness of the conjunctiva and ciliary margin of the eyelids;
• lacrimation;
• Photophobia.

Conjunctivitis in a child - how many days does it last?

Bacterial (purulent) conjunctivitis can last from 3 weeks to 2 months, depending on what pathogen provoked its appearance. The longest (up to 2 months) and most severe conjunctivitis is caused by meningococcus, diphtheria bacillus and gonococcus. Other bacterial conjunctivitis usually lasts 3 to 5 weeks.

Chlamydial conjunctivitis can last from 10 to 21 days, depending on the individual characteristics of the reactivity of the child’s immune system.

Allergic conjunctivitis can last for years, with alternating periods of remissions and exacerbations, if it is not possible to completely remove the factor that provokes the development of a hypersensitivity reaction.

Bacterial conjunctivitis in children

The first symptom of bacterial conjunctivitis is the appearance of cloudy, viscous discharge from the eye - pus. The pus may be yellow or gray in color. Depending on the consistency of the discharge, it can be viscous or liquid. Typically, purulent discharge accumulates in the folds or on the ciliary edge of the eyelids. After a night's sleep, it is difficult for a child to open his eyes because pus sticks them together.

To others characteristic symptom Bacterial conjunctivitis is severe dryness of the skin around the eye. Other nonspecific symptoms of bacterial conjunctivitis, such as swelling and redness of the conjunctiva and skin of the eyelids, lacrimation and photophobia are also present, but their severity may vary. In severe cases of bacterial conjunctivitis, the child experiences pain and a sensation of a foreign body in the eye.

Purulent conjunctivitis in children

• The presence of purulent discharge in the eyes;
• Sticking of eyelids after sleep;
• Severe swelling of the conjunctiva and eyelids, which become very dense to the touch;
• lacrimation;
• Injection of the sclera of the eye (redness);
• Infiltrates and pinpoint hemorrhages on the conjunctiva, visible in the form of small brick-brown dots.

Viral conjunctivitis in children

Any viral conjunctivitis is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Severe lacrimation;
• Redness of the skin of the eyelids;
• Swelling of the skin of the eyelids;
• Conjunctival injection ( redness of the eye);
• Scanty mucous discharge, often forming films that are easily removed from the surface of the conjunctiva without leaving damage;
• Numerous gray infiltrates in the mucous membrane of the eye.

Chlamydial conjunctivitis in children

Chlamydial conjunctivitis begins with severe photophobia. Then, over a short period of time, severe swelling and redness of the lower and upper eyelids develop. By the 2nd day of illness, the conjunctiva was severely hyperemic. The most pronounced inflammatory process occurs in the fold of the lower eyelid, where a small amount of mucopurulent discharge accumulates. After sleep, the child’s eyelids are glued together, and dried yellow-gray crusts are visible on the eyelash edge. In principle, chlamydial conjunctivitis belongs to the group of bacterial ones, therefore its course is the same as that of inflammation provoked by pathogenic bacteria.

Allergic conjunctivitis in children

The characteristic symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis, which always develop in a child and allow one to distinguish this type of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye from others, are the following:

• Swelling and redness of the mucous membrane of the eye;
• lacrimation;
• Swelling of the eyelids;
• Itchy eyes.

Contact conjunctivitis in children

Temperature with conjunctivitis in children

If conjunctivitis is not combined with symptoms of various respiratory diseases (for example, rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, acute respiratory infections, etc.), then the increase in temperature is a reflection of the child’s body’s reaction to inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye. The temperature in such a situation will drop after the conjunctivitis begins to stop.

If conjunctivitis is combined with diseases of the upper respiratory tract (tonsillitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis, etc.), a cold or any general infections (for example, measles, chickenpox, rubella, etc.), then the temperature is caused by these pathologies , and not inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye. In such a situation, the temperature will normalize when the child begins to recover from the underlying illness.

For children, a combination of conjunctivitis with respiratory diseases is a fairly common course of infection, which is due to anatomical features structure of ENT organs and eyes. If a child develops conjunctivitis with every cold, sniffle or acute respiratory viral infection, this is his individual characteristic, which is a variant of the norm. In such a situation, it is necessary to treat the cold, and the eyes can simply be washed, since no special therapy is required.

Snot and conjunctivitis in a child

Conjunctivitis in children - photo

The photo shows allergic conjunctivitis.

The photo shows viral conjunctivitis.

Conjunctivitis in children - principles of treatment

You should call a doctor if at least one of the above symptoms appears. If these symptoms are absent, then conjunctivitis in a child can be treated at home, having previously established its cause (viral, bacterial or allergic) based on clinical symptoms. Knowing the cause of conjunctivitis is necessary for proper and effective treatment.

In the process of treating any type of conjunctivitis, you will have to bury and rinse the child’s eyes. This must be done correctly, observing the following rules:

• Don't worry and don't yell at the child, show by example that there is nothing bad or unpleasant about putting eye drops;
• Always treat and apply drops to both eyes, even if only one is affected. This is necessary to prevent infection of the second eye;
• Before each eye drop or eye wash, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water;
• Immediately before instillation, place the child on his back in a position that is comfortable for him;
• Place your index finger on the upper eyelid and your thumb on the lower eyelid, then gently stretch them apart. The lower eyelid should be pulled back so that the pocket underneath is exposed;
• With your second hand, without touching the eyelashes or the surface of the eye, drop the medicine directly into the pocket of the lower eyelid as close as possible to the outer corner;
• Remove your fingers from your eyelids and ask your child not to close their eyes. Explain to him in advance that he should either blink or try to keep his eye open, but not squint, because otherwise the medicine will leak out;
• If it is not possible to open the child’s eyes for instillation, then 2–3 drops of the medicine should be applied directly to the closed upper eyelids at the inner corner. In this case, the child will reflexively open his eyes, as a result of which part of the medicine will reach its destination;
• When using ointment, it should be placed clean index finger under the lower eyelid;
• To remove mucous or purulent discharge from the eyes, it is necessary to rinse them with various non-irritating solutions (for example, saline solution, Furacilin, etc.);
• For rinsing, clean gauze wipes should be used, and a new one should be taken to treat each eye;
• A gauze napkin is soaked in the solution and wiped over the eyes from the outer corner to the inner one. After each wiping, change the tampon to a new one. Wipe the child's eyes until the ciliary edge of the eyelid is cleared of pus or mucus;
• After removing mucus or pus from the eyelid, clean the corner of the eye.

To wash the eye, you can use any non-irritating liquid, such as saline solution, chamomile decoction, tea, boiled water, etc. You can buy at the pharmacy and use antiseptic solutions for ophthalmic practice to wash the eyes, such as Vitabact, 2% boric acid, Furacilin diluted 1: 1000, Oxycyanate, etc.

The above rules apply when treating any type of conjunctivitis in a child. Besides them, in complex therapy For conjunctivitis, it is necessary to use certain medications to eliminate the cause of inflammation, such as antibiotics, antiviral or antiallergic drugs. All these remedies are used topically in the form of ointments or drops in the eyes. Only with allergic conjunctivitis may it be necessary to take antihistamines orally in tablet form. Let's consider which drugs that eliminate the cause of inflammation can be used to treat various types of conjunctivitis in children.

Viral conjunctivitis in children - treatment

If viral conjunctivitis occurs in a severe form with the formation of follicles, then it requires treatment in a hospital.

Bacterial conjunctivitis in children - treatment

Allergic conjunctivitis in children - treatment

However, in addition to this, it is necessary to instill drops into the child’s eyes containing antihistamine, antiallergic substances, for example, Alomid, High-Krom, Cromoglin, Lecrolin, Cromohexal, etc. The drops are used in courses of 2–4 weeks, after which they take a break and, if necessary, resume their use.

How long does it take to treat conjunctivitis in children?

Conjunctivitis in infants - principles of treatment

However, infants may have a specific type of conjunctivitis, which is associated with incomplete opening of the nasolacrimal duct. This disorder is called dacryocystitis. In this case, the tear does not flow out, causing constant swelling and redness of the baby's eyes. Conventional methods of treating conjunctivitis with dacryocystitis are not effective.

Typically, the tear duct opens on its own by 3–8 months of life, as a result of which conjunctivitis goes away on its own. However, to relieve the symptoms of dacryocystitis in a baby, you can do a simple massage by pressing your finger on the inner corner of the eye several times during the day. Such a simple massage will help remove tears through the nose, preventing its stagnation and the formation of inflammation on the conjunctiva.

Conjunctivitis in children - 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 the 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:

1. Bacterial;
2. Viral;
3. 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 a foreign body to form in the eye in the form of pollen or other tiny particles.

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

Symptoms of conjunctivitis in children

Appearance childhood conjunctivitis usually accompanied by symptoms such as:

• sour eyes;
• gluing eyelids and eyelashes;
• swollen eyelids;
• redness of the eyes;
• profuse lacrimation;
• itching and burning.

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 do you need to urgently take your baby to the doctor?

If at least one of the following symptoms 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 treated incorrectly or untimely, lifelong eye problems are possible.

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 treatment for different types 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 the eyeball of them.

This drug is approved for use in childhood and is excellent for the prevention of 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 go away 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 item that causes the allergy. 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 are not talking 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:

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

However, all the simple rules listed above must be followed by mom and dad without any reminders.

Viral

To prevent viral conjunctivitis in a child:

1. Strengthening the immune system (hardening, vitamins, sufficient exposure to fresh air).
2. Regular ventilation of the room in which the baby lives.
3. Regular change of children's bedding.
4. 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 baby goes to the pool, invest in 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.