Purulent conjunctivitis in children: how to recognize and treat?

Purulent conjunctivitis in children - a fairly common eye disease, the emergence and development of which is provoked by various bacteria and infections.The causative agents of purulent conjunctivitis get very easily on the mucous membrane of the eye. As soon as the children's hands touch the eyes, putting in them dust particles and mote, a rapid development of infection begins. The form of purulent conjunctivitis depends on the type of pathogen.This is also due to the treatment of the disease.

What it is?

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye (conjunctiva), which performs a protective function, Protecting the deep structure of the eye from the negative effects of different viruses, bacteria and fungal microflora.

Often occurs conjunctivitis in infants, and anxious moms try to treat them themselves a variety of folk remedies or those drugs that the pharmacist recommended in pharmacies.

But do not do this: thus, you can aggravate the course of the disease and worsen the condition of the ill child.

If a child has pus from his eyes, then most likely he has conjunctivitis, but the final diagnosis can only be made by a doctor after a complete examination of the patient.

Causes

Frequent development of purulent conjunctivitis in children is associated with anatomical features of the eye and nasopharyngeal duct, as well as immaturity of mechanisms of local and general immunity of the mucous membranes.In addition, microorganisms easily fall on the mucous eyes of babies, as children often play in sand and dust, rub their eyes with handles and put dirty toys into their mouths.

Experts have established several reasons that provoke inflammation and cause purulent conjunctivitis in children.

The most dangerous agents of conjunctivitis are Pseudomonas aeruginosa and chlamydia. These disease provokers can cause acute conjunctivitis, which affects the cornea beyond recognition. With bacterial etiology, both eyes suffer: the infection first develops on one eye, and after 2-3 days affects the other.

Manifestation of conjunctivitis in the form of red spots

In pre-school children, conjunctivitis occurs very often and occurs in a more complex form than in adolescents and adults.This is due to the fact that at this age children are only accustomed to independence and personal hygiene.The disease at this age is spreading with great speed through toys, dirty hands and other things.

In infants, conjunctivitis occurs for several reasons:

• by infection from the mother during the birth process;
• with low immunity;
• with incorrect care of a newborn child.

Symptoms

In the beginning, the disease manifests itself in children is quite harmless: it seems that the eye got a small mote. But just a couple of hours after infection, there are characteristic signs of conjunctivitis:

Symptoms of conjunctivitis

• redness of eyeballs;
• edema of the eyelids;
• narrowing of the eye gap;
• lacrimation;
• photophobia;
• withered yellow crusts on the eyelids;
• stitched eyelashes (especially in the morning after sleep);
• purulent branches from the eyes;
• deterioration of sleep and appetite;
• general lethargy;
• capriciousness.

Older children have complaints about worsening visual acuity, discomfort, itching, burning and sensation of foreign bodies in the eyes.Breastfeeding - restless, cry a lot, therefore at any departments of the eye it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor.

Some babies do not rule out a sharp rise in body temperature and the spread of edema on the cheeks.

Diagnostics

The ophthalmologist easily recognizes purulent conjunctivitis in newborns according to external clinical signs.Sometimes, to clarify the diagnosis and identify the pathogen that caused the disease, the doctor prescribes additional laboratory studies of biological secretions from the eyes.

Treatment

If there are symptoms similar to conjunctivitis, it is necessary to contact an ophthalmologist.The doctor will refute or confirm the disease, tell you how to treat conjunctivitis in children and, if necessary, prescribe appropriate treatment with eye drops and special ointments.

Eye drops

Eye drops for children should be "sparing".Otherwise, the first drop will cause the child to have a burning sensation, and the baby will further resist this treatment.One of such "burning" medications is a drop of "Albucid". Children's 15-percent solution also burns eyes as much as the adult 30-percent solution.

At the same time, the drops of "Levomycetin" won the trust of many parents. If the solution is heated to the temperature of the body, then you can bury the eyes of the child, even in a dormant state. The kid will not feel anything.

Infusions for rubbing the eyes

As an additional treatment that removes inflammation, apply a weak infusion of chamomile, which wipe the child's eyes.Alternatively, you can use a weak solution of potassium permanganate or warm boiled water.If you immediately take up the treatment, do everything right and with the doctor's advice, the purulent conjunctivitis will disappear in two or three days.

How to apply?

A large assortment of drugs creates the illusion that treatment will be immediate. It seems to parents that, having bought the drops recommended by the pharmacist, they will immediately relieve their child of the ailment.

However, in order to quickly overcome the disease, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules that will make treatment effective:

• Before burying the eyes, rinse thoroughly.If pus or mucus remains in the conjunctival cavity after treatment, the medicine will not have the desired effect. In the allocated pus a lot of microbes, which must necessarily be removed.
• Parents should wash their hands thoroughly before each procedure.
• For each eye, use a separate cotton pad.
• Wipe down from the outer to the inner corner of the eye(not the other way around!) until all the remnants of pus and mucus completely disappear.
• With constant lacrimation and purulent discharge, the medicine is washed out of the eye literally after 15 minutes.In this case, the eyes should be treated every hour. There will not be an overdose of Levomycetin, because they have a local effect and are practically harmless to the child's body. When the manifestations of conjunctivitis decrease, the amount of instillation can also be reduced.
• Wipe and bury both eyes, even if the symptoms of the disease are visible only on one of them.
• Before going to bed, the ointment is superimposed in the corners of the child's eyes with thin strips: during sleep, it spreads independently over the shell of the eyeball.

Treatment of conjunctivitis in newborns is carried out according to the same scheme as for older children.

Complications

Purulent (bacterial) conjunctivitis can become a dangerous disease (especially in early childhood) with a high risk of complications in the form of irreversible changes in the deep structures of the eye.

Dangerous signs in the development of conjunctivitis:

• absence of positive dynamics or aggravation of clinical manifestations of the disease on the background of treatment within 2-3 days;
• Pain in the eyes;
• photophobia with minimal reddening of the conjunctiva;
• deterioration of vision;
• the appearance of small pale pink blisters on the eye mucosa in the upper eyelid;

Newborns and babies need urgent medical help!

Prevention

As already mentioned, purulent conjunctivitis is a widespread disease among children.High infectiousness of the disease requires timely detection, quality treatment and elimination of diffusion expansion. Conjunctivitis is better prevented than treated.Which parent wants to see the suffering of his baby, exhaust him with examinations and treatment?

In order not to face conjunctivitis, it is necessary:

1. To accustom the child to strict hygiene.
2. Do not touch the baby's eyes with dirty hands.
3. Frequently wash your hands with your parents and baby.
4. Regularly ventilate all the rooms in the house or apartment.
5. Carefully handle care items for the baby.
6. Disinfect children's toys, especially those that have been on the street.
7. Use humidifiers and air ionizers.
8. Provide the child with a full, rich in vitamins, nutrition.
9. Daily walk with the child in the fresh air.
10. Avoid contact with patients.

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The causes of redness around the eyes are described in detail in the article.

Than to treat a conjunctivitis at newborn children read here.

Symptoms of glaucoma in the early stages: http://eyesdocs.ru/zabolevaniya/glaukoma/svoevremennoe-lechenie-glaukomy-put-k-xoroshemu-zreniyu.html

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conclusions

So, purulent conjunctivitis in newborns is not such a harmless disease.If it is time and correctly not treated, then the child may develop irreversible complications. We told you which drops should be used if your child has conjunctivitis, but this does not mean that you now need to run to the pharmacy.Be responsible to your baby, do not make independent decisions. Treatment should appoint only a doctor! And the task of the parents is to follow his recommendations implicitly. Remember this, moms and dads!