Red eyes in a child - reasons and what to do

Redness of the eyes often occurs in young children. However, this is not always a sign of overwork, as it happens in adults. Sometimes it is caused by various diseases. To avoid serious consequences, you need to find out the reason why your baby's eyes turned red as soon as possible, and, if necessary, show the child to a doctor.

Red eyes in a child - reasons

Redness of the eyes in children can be caused by both internal and external factors. External reasons include the following:

• the presence of some kind of foreign body in the eye;
• overvoltage;
• tiredness or lack of sleep;
• trauma;
• influence of weather conditions.

In this case, it is enough to eliminate the cause and the redness goes away. However, there is a second group of reasons - internal diseases, the development of which can be identified just by the presence of this symptom. It can be glaucoma (increased intraocular pressure), conjunctivitis(inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye due to infections, bacteria or viruses), uveitis (inflammation of the choroid), obstruction of the lacrimal canals and some other diseases. Another reason that occurs often is allergy on anything. When an allergic reaction occurs, the eyes also water and itch.

If the child has red eyes and festering

If, in addition to redness, the eyes fester, this is a sign of an infectious process. It can be caused by the presence of a foreign body. If this is ruled out, the child is likely to develop conjunctivitis or dacryocystitis (blockage and inflammation of the eye sac).

Typical manifestations of conjunctivitis are fear of light, pain and burning in the eyes, swelling in the eyelids. This is a contagious disease, a child can carry an infection even when he simply rubs his eyes with his hands.

To cure conjunctivitis, the doctor prescribes special drops or ointment. In addition, lotions from strong infusions of black tea, decoction of calendula, chamomile and other medicinal herbs are useful. To remove pus and protect the eyes from the spread of infection, special solutions, for example, a solution of furacilin, will help. Even if the inflammation is in only one eye, both must be treated. This is done with cotton swabs.

Dacryocystitis is less common in children. It can occur with various injuries, sinusitis, poor development of the lacrimal apparatus. It is determined by the abscesses that appear when pressing on the lacrimal openings. For effective treatment, the use of antibiotics may also be required, but first of all it is necessary to find out the cause of the disease.

If the child has red eyes and itches

A feeling of itching in the eyes may be an indication that a foreign particle has got under the eyelid. Another common cause is allergies. Children are especially susceptible to allergies in the summer, during the flowering period. It can also occur due to dust, as well as when keeping pets in the apartment.

The eyes may itch even when a wound has healed. In such cases, itching appears due to the healing substances that the child's body produces.

Treatment directly depends on the cause of the itching. If the eye is itching due to a midge or speck, it is enough to rinse it well with a weak solution of black tea and drip baby drops. Taking antihistamines will help relieve allergic symptoms, but obstruction of the lacrimal canals will have to be treated in a hospital.

Red eyes and temperature in a child

Sometimes the reddening of the eyes in a child is accompanied by an increase in temperature. It can be caused by both allergens and infection with viruses and bacteria. Even a disease such as blepharitis (popularly called barley) can provoke redness and fever. With this ailment, inflammation of the sebaceous gland or ciliary sac occurs. In addition to temperature, a headache may appear, lymph nodes may swell. For the treatment of blepharitis, physiotherapy and various antibacterial ointments are prescribed.

How to relieve eye redness

If the child has redness of the eyes, first of all pay attention to whether he watches too much TV or plays at the computer, whether he sleeps well, whether the lighting in his room is normal. To relieve redness in the eyes of a child and not harm him, you can use special drops, which will be prescribed by the attending physician. Antihistamines also help in the fight against redness.

Various lotions, compresses with decoctions have a very good effect chamomile, string, sage, cornflower. Also used are the so-called brewer's yeast (nagipol), which are available in tablets. True, with diseases such as uveitis, blepharitis or glaucoma, the use of home remedies is pointless, medical attention is needed.

In addition, in pharmacies you will find products that can be bought without a prescription: visin, sofradex. Their use (of course, in strict accordance with the instructions) constricts the vessels of the eyes and relieves redness. Relaxing while lying down will help relieve stress, as well as frequent blinking of the eyes.

Hygiene and preventive measures must be observed. In no case should you touch or rub your eyes, this can cause even more irritation. Buy good antibacterial drops (such as albucid, for example) from the pharmacy. Of course, they also cannot be used uncontrollably.

It is advisable to carry out the treatment of redness of the eyes under the supervision of a physician. So your baby will avoid complications and maintain good eyesight.