Red eyes in a child - causes and treatment of redness

Red eyes have an unhealthy appearance. Most cases of redness in children are harmless and respond well to treatment.

However, if diseases that can lead to complications are noticed too late.

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There are many reasons for red eyes. Even if a speck gets into the eye, one should not ignore it, as it causes infection and can lead to poor vision. Therefore, you should immediately seek help, do not delay treatment and follow preventive measures to prevent a similar situation.

Types of symptoms

The eyes have a dense capillary network, but in a healthy organ the vessels remain invisible. The squirrels are white. If red veins appear, then moderately.

Severe redness is the result of an unhealthy state of the visual organs. You should pay attention to such a sign.

Depending on what other symptoms bother the child, a conclusion is drawn about the pathology that caused the redness.

Types of symptoms:

Red dots on the connective membrane. This sign may indicate microtrauma and vascular overstrain that the baby experiences when passing through the birth canal.
Redness accompanied by swelling are signs of diseased kidneys. The child's fluid balance is disturbed, which causes swelling in the periorbital area.
The eye turns red without the discharge of pus - symptoms of adenovirus activity. On the first day, the body temperature rises to 39 degrees, then a cough and general malaise appear.
If the whites of the eyes turn red and itch very much, you are allergic to an external irritant. The allergic reaction is accompanied by photophobia, increased sensitivity to light, possible rashes on the body and on the skin around the eyes, severe itching, and swelling of the eyelids. Some babies experience muscle pain.
Severely reddened eyes are the result of hemorrhage. There are several types - hyposphagma, hyphema, hemophthalmos and retinal hemorrhage. Appears as a large red spot in the eye.
Red streaks in the eyes indicate redness of the capillaries caused by blepharitis, conjunctivitis or autoimmune pathologies.

Causes of red eyes in children

It is quite difficult not to notice the emerging problem, because the child feels a certain discomfort. The cause of redness in the evening may be visual fatigue. It is typical for school-age children. Visual strain also occurs at a young age.

Associated with violation of the daily routine:

lack of daytime sleep;
watching TV for a long time;
games on the phone.

Harmless causes include the entry of a foreign body into the eye, as well as exposure to natural factors - dust, wind, rain. However, even in this case, you cannot leave everything to chance; the consequences can be serious.

Other causes of red eyes:

Development of conjunctivitis. In children, the disease is accompanied differently. Body temperature rises, sleep is disturbed and appetite worsens. They become capricious, stop playing with their favorite toys, and rub their eyes. By the morning, the child’s eyes are stuck together with purulent discharge, swell, and a feeling of sand appears in the eyes.
Aggressive chemistry. Shampoo or soap causes irritation and blood vessels burst. Chlorinated water is also a cause, so glasses should be worn in swimming pools to protect the vulnerable visual organ.
Air conditioners. They dry out the air. Staying in a room for a long time with the air conditioning on dries out the mucous membranes of the eyes. The main symptoms are itching, lacrimation, burning.
Injury. A scratch on the cornea is a common type of injury. Appears when a finger, stick or large speck gets into the eye.
Viral infection. The disease is accompanied by a cough and runny nose. Discharge from the eyes is slight and watery.
Glaucoma is quite rare among children. In the absence of therapy, it leads to serious consequences. Characterized by increased intraocular pressure, headaches, blurred vision and hyperemia.
The cause of redness may be a protective reaction of the eyes to cigarette smoke.

This symptom also provokes sugar diathesis, anemia, uveitis, blepharitis, and bacterial infection.

What is conjunctivitis and what are its main symptoms?

Conjunctivitis is an inflammatory process that occurs in the conjunctiva of the visual organs. This disease is characterized by inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye.

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One of the main purposes of the eyelids and tear fluid is to create a certain barrier that prevents the penetration of infection. If the immune system is weakened, then bacteria and viruses begin to actively attack it. But this doesn't always happen. In some cases, the disease is allergic in nature. The main symptoms of conjunctivitis include:

redness and swelling of the eyes;
difficulty opening your eyes after sleep;
the formation of yellow crusts on the eyelids;
discharge of pus from the eyes.

Such symptoms are standard for any form of the disease. They are considered common to both adults and children. In the first case, treatment of conjunctivitis is not a problem. Adults often realize without the help of an ophthalmologist that they have contracted this disease. Children who have learned to speak may complain to their parents about a burning sensation in their eyes and blurred vision. If a baby gets conjunctivitis, the situation is more complicated. A newborn baby cannot tell mom or dad about his pain. He usually expresses them through crying, poor sleep and decreased appetite. Children who are only a few months old often get conjunctivitis. Usually the clinical picture in such cases is brighter. Puffiness from the eyes may spread to the cheeks. The child's body temperature often rises. When infected, the baby begins to actively rub his eyes with his fists and becomes capricious.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis process begins with interviewing parents and identifying symptoms. Eye damage can be limited not only to the inflammatory process; if there is a family history of allergic pathology, it is important to diagnose the first signs in time.

Anamnestic data will provide information about the onset of kidney disease or a change in the pattern of urination, which causes swelling under the eyes. If the baby has been in contact with a sick child, this indicates infection. It is important to take these points into account; they will allow you to accurately diagnose the cause and become the basis for further diagnosis.

Analyzes:

urine;
blood;
taking a culture from the eyes;
serological blood test.

Instrumental diagnostic methods make it possible to identify diseases of other organs that can lead to redness. Ultrasound is performed to examine the kidneys and adrenal glands.

If the eyes turn red for the first time, be sure to measure intraocular pressure if there are signs of glaucoma.

What should parents do in this situation?

Regardless of the cause of redness, your eyes will require special care . It must be carried out in combination with the prescribed treatment.

Then the recovery will speed up and the child’s condition will improve. The ophthalmologist will tell you what care and treatment should be like at your appointment.

If the eye turns red due to a foreign body, try to carefully remove it. Do not perform this procedure unless you are sure that you can do it without damaging the lining of the eye. Call a doctor who can do it right.
Find out if the child is experiencing discomfort or getting tired. Try to provide him with peace, a balanced diet, and healthy sleep. Protect from worries and stress.
Dim the lighting so it doesn't irritate your eyes.
Several times a day, wipe problem areas with a sterile cotton swab soaked in a weak Furacilin solution.
If redness is a consequence of an allergy, limit your baby's contact with the irritating substance.

Immediately after detecting redness, follow these rules, but do not delay your visit to the ophthalmologist. Only a doctor can accurately determine the cause of the disease.

General treatment

It is not recommended to take any measures on your own. You can only apply soothing compresses based on tea or chamomile infusion if you are not seeing a doctor soon, but you need to alleviate the child’s suffering.

General treatment measures:

Rinsing the eyes with soothing solutions.
Eyes should be washed with warm water every day to remove dirt. Use only distilled water and a personal towel.
For inflammation of the connective membrane, ointments and drops with antibacterial, antifungal or antiviral action are prescribed. Some children are left for hospital treatment if the damage is severe and accompanied by sudden changes in temperature.
During treatment, keep the child away from other family members if the disease is contagious. For example, with viral and bacterial conjunctivitis. Don't take him to the garden.
Antihistamines are prescribed to combat allergies. It is important to minimize contact with the allergen; it is better to eliminate it.
Anti-inflammatory drops are prescribed when a foreign body gets into the baby's eye. They prevent the development of the inflammatory process and fight unpleasant symptoms.

You cannot apply bandages, warm your eyes, explain to your child that you shouldn’t rub, teach him to wash his hands after visiting the street or the toilet, or scratch his eye a little if necessary.

Make the light in the room dim. It will not irritate the baby’s reddened eyes even more.

Why does this happen: reasons for the appearance of red spots, dots, blood vessels

If the child's eye turns red and a capillary mesh appears, try to find the reason for this. If the provoking factor can be eliminated, the redness itself will go away.

If the cause is an internal disease, visiting a doctor and treatment cannot be avoided .

Causes causing redness:

fatigue, overstrain;
entry of a foreign body;
eye injury;
allergy;
blockage of the tear duct in infants.

If you are unable to determine the cause of the redness on your own, consult a doctor immediately.

If a red spot appears on a child’s eye, most likely the reason for this is one of the following conditions:

Change in blood pressure. If the pressure is high or low, there is a chance that small vessels in the child's eye will burst, causing a hematoma (which causes red whites). This defect does not need to be treated. It is only important to eliminate the cause of its appearance. Carry out systematic monitoring of the baby’s blood pressure, consult a doctor.
Heavy loads. If a child lifts weights, the pressure in his capillaries temporarily increases and hemorrhages occur (a red spot or dot inside the white of the eye). In this case, there is no need to panic, the hemorrhages will go away on their own.
A sharp increase in eye pressure . Only a doctor can measure blood pressure. It is worth consulting with him if spots or red blood vessels appear too often and do not disappear for a long time.

In addition to these reasons for the formation of hemorrhages, there is another one - red vessels on the sclera in a newborn can be a congenital defect. Red spots do not impair the baby's vision and are completely harmless.

If red capillaries in the eyes of a baby spoil the child’s appearance, consult a doctor to determine the possibility of removing them.

The causes of redness can be diseases:

Diabetes and other disruptions in hormonal balance, due to which the walls of the capillaries become thinner.
Infections with fever.
Conjunctivitis, keratitis, accompanying hemorrhages, increased lacrimation and discomfort.
Tumors. Neoplasms grow and put pressure on the organelles of the eye, stretching the blood vessels, which leads to their damage.
Deficiency of vitamins A and C in the body, which are responsible for the flexibility of the walls of blood vessels.
Meteosensitivity.

Some more useful information about why children may have red eyes:

Medicines

Treatment with drugs depends on the cause of the redness. Most often, children are prescribed eye drops, since it is difficult to apply ointment to a child under 5 years old.

Medicines prescribed for red eyes:

Anti-inflammatory - Diclofenac (from 2 years), Indocollir, Acular.
Antihistamines - Allergodil (from 4 years old, has a prolonged anti-allergenic effect), Opatanol and Lecrolin.
Antibacterial. Albucid (allowed for use from birth, use up to 5 times a day). Vitabact is a combined drug with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects that can be used by newborns. Maxitrol has a strong bactericidal effect and is contraindicated for tuberculosis eye disease.
Antiviral - Atropine (from 7 years of age, in younger children it can cause a lack of near vision), Tobrex (considered the safest medicine), Albucid and Levomycetin.

Prevention

To prevent your child from experiencing red eyes and other symptoms, follow these recommendations:

protect the child from children with contagious diseases;
minimize the number of hours in front of the TV;
ensure daytime and full night sleep;
teach hygiene and hand washing after visiting the street or playing in the sand;
protect from stress, body overload, visual fatigue;
buy hypoallergenic washing products.