Suppuration of the eyes in a 2 year old child. A child’s eye has become infected: causes and what to do (treatment)

Many parents have had to deal with the problem of a child’s eyes festering: this phenomenon can appear at any age - in newborns, after a year, in preschoolers and students. An unpleasant and painful condition that must be treated in a timely manner so as not to develop serious complications, including loss of vision.

In this case, there is no need to self-medicate and use grandma’s recipes for folk remedies: the problem is too serious. Only an ophthalmologist can recognize the true cause of the disease and, in accordance with it, prescribe the correct, effective treatment.

The first thing that both parents and the doctor have to find out is why the child’s eyes fester: what factors could provoke this disease. This will help in prescribing the right treatment, which will quickly lead to recovery. The causes of festering eyes in babies can be:

- inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye is the most common cause of pus formation;
dacryocystitis in a newborn baby is a violation of the patency of the lacrimal canal, which did not open at birth;
bacteria: staphylococci, streptococci, meningococci, pneumococci;
viruses: influenza, ARVI, herpes, adenovirus;
chlamydia;
allergens: pollen, odors, dust, wool;
untreated sore throat or adenoiditis, measles, colds, sinusitis;
infection through the birth canal or unsterile medical instruments - it is for this reason that every second newborn child suffers from festering eyes, and already on the 2nd or 3rd day of his new, small life;
eyelash caught in the eye;
attack of glaucoma (increased intraocular pressure);
inflammation in the deep membranes of the eye mucosa, which can threaten vision loss;
non-compliance with hygiene rules: the eyes of children who rarely wash their hands and constantly rub their eyes with them often fester;
weakened immunity.

Very often, conjunctivitis is viral in nature and is therefore considered contagious. It is advisable to isolate a sick child from other children to avoid the spread of the disease. Dacryocystitis is a disease that manifests itself already in infancy, but if the eyes of a child 3 years or older fester, conjunctivitis is one of the most common causes of this scourge.

The ophthalmologist will prescribe an examination to find out all the reasons, which can sometimes begin during the mother’s pregnancy (for example, infection of the birth canal). The sooner the provoking factor is identified, the sooner the baby’s painful condition, which manifests itself in a variety of symptoms, will improve.

Associated symptoms

Pus accumulating in the eyes of children is not the only symptom of conjunctivitis, dacryocystitis, or the same allergy. The discharge is accompanied by a number of characteristic signs that help the doctor more accurately determine the diagnosis, and therefore not make a mistake in choosing treatment methods. These diseases are characterized by the following symptoms:

purulent discharge that accumulates in the corners and prevents the child from opening his eyes in the morning;
photophobia;
with adenoviral conjunctivitis, the temperature may rise, appetite may decrease, headaches, enlarged lymph nodes, runny nose, and sore throat;
redness of the mucous membrane of the eye;
tearfulness;
characteristic blisters on the edges of the eyelids - this is how herpetic conjunctivitis manifests itself;
swelling of the eyelid;
a film on the mucous membrane, which is under no circumstances recommended to be removed at home;
if a child’s eyes become very purulent, he complains of itching and there is a simultaneous runny nose, these are signs of an allergic reaction;
sleep disturbances, appetite disorders;
moodiness, irritability;
eyelids glued together in the morning;
formation of yellow crusts;
pain, complaints of burning;
deterioration of visual acuity.

This does not mean that all of the above symptoms will be present: everyone’s body is different, and so are the diseases. But most often, 5–6 of these signs, when occurring simultaneously, poison the baby’s life. And parents simply have to know what to do if their child’s eyes fester: show him to an ophthalmologist as soon as possible. He exclusively prescribes treatment.

Treatment

Depending on the diagnosis, the age of the child, his individual characteristics and the causes of the disease, the doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment. He will also tell parents in detail how to treat and how to care for their baby’s sore eyes at home: what can be done and what cannot be done. To avoid complications and serious consequences, medications such as:

adenoviral conjunctivitis: interferon, poludan, 0.25% tebrofen or florenal ointment;
herpetic conjunctivitis: acyclovir for external and internal use;
dacryocystitis in newborns: local anti-inflammatory drugs, massage of the lacrimal duct;
if a child’s eyes constantly fester in the spring, most likely it’s an allergy problem: in this case, immunosuppressants (such as dexamethasone or hydrocortisone), as well as all kinds of antiallergic drops (allergophthal, lecrolin, spersallerg, allergodil, diphenhydramine in solution) are prescribed;
removing crusts from the eyelids with a swab dipped in a solution of chamomile or furatsilin;
disinfectant drops: Albucid solution 10% (if the eyes fester in an infant), 20% (over 1 year), 0.25% chloramphenicol, Eubital, Fucithalmic, Vitabact, Colbiocin;
ointments - erythromycin, tetracycline, tobrex.

Festering eyes in children at any age is a dangerous disease that can lead to irreversible consequences and health complications in the future. Therefore, parents should under no circumstances hesitate or engage in folk methods of self-medication at home. Only an ophthalmologist, in close collaboration with other pediatric specialists (pediatricians and virologists), can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment.

If problems with the eyes occur in a newborn, then, most likely, we are dealing with a complete or partial blockage of the lacrimal canaliculus - congenital. The classic symptom is souring of the eye without redness of the eyelid. What to do if an infant’s eye is purulent? There is nothing terrible in this diagnosis; it can be treated. As a rule, a massage is enough to restore the patency of the baby's tubules. You should not self-medicate, but you should contact a pediatric ophthalmologist. He will teach you how to massage and tell you how to wash your eye. If this does not help, then at the age of 2-3 months the lacrimal canal is probed. The procedure is not complicated, and after treatment you will forget what souring eyes are.

There are probably no people who did not have problems with their eyes in childhood - sourness, redness, pain. The article will talk about conjunctivitis, i.e. inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye. Let's consider how to treat a child's eye if it is festering.

You should know that there are three causes of the disease; accordingly, this disease is of the following types:

viral conjunctivitis;
allergic.

Depending on this, eye treatment is prescribed. The difficulty of treatment lies in the fact that the symptoms of all types of conjunctivitis are almost the same. You can find out why a child’s eyes fester by analyzing the events that preceded the disease. For example, a child played in the sand, after which his eyes turned red, or the baby was given a plush toy the day before, which could cause an allergic reaction. Or perhaps the child had the flu or a sore throat. Analysis of events will allow us to determine the correct type of illness.

If the inflammation of the eye is viral, then treatment is useless. The disease will go away on its own when the body develops immunity. This will happen within 5-7 days. If we are dealing with allergic conjunctivitis (then both eyes of the child become inflamed), then rinsing should be combined with taking antihistamines.

If conjunctivitis is bacterial, then the doctor will prescribe topical antibiotics.

Often parents are in no hurry to see an ophthalmologist. Remember that you can only fight the disease at home for 1-2 days. Below we will answer the question in more detail: how to treat a child at home if his eyes fester?

What to do if a child’s eyes are very purulent?

Rinse the eyes well with saline solution (1 teaspoon of salt per liter of boiled water), chamomile decoction or furatsilin. It is important not to transfer the infection from one eye to another. Therefore, there should be separate tampons for each eye. You need to rinse with a warm solution, carefully removing the crusts. This procedure must be done frequently for the baby - every 2 hours for 1-2 days.
What can you put in your child’s eyes if they are festering? Every 2-4 hours it is recommended to use disinfectant drops: Albucid (10% for newborns and 20% for older children); 0.25% solution of the drug Levomecitin, Colbiotsin, Futsitalmic, Vitabact, etc.
Children tolerate ointments better than drops, because... they don't sting your eyes. There are ointments that will help with conjunctivitis: 1% Tetracycline, 1% Erythromycin, Tobrex.

Thus, we looked at what can be used to wash and drip a child’s eyes if they fester. The number of procedures can be reduced by 3-4 days if the disease resolves successfully.

“The child’s eyes are rotting” is a problem that young mothers often face. Such a serious statement usually means the presence of an inflammatory disease of the eyelids, conjunctiva or lacrimal drainage system.

What are the symptoms of the disease?

An eye infection that occurs in infants in the form of blepharitis, conjunctivitis or dacryocystitis is characterized by:

the formation of a large number of crusts located along the ciliary edge of the eyelids (acidification of the eye);
the appearance of purulent contents when pressing on the area of the lacrimal sac;
redness of the white of the eye (hyperemia);
the presence or absence of general manifestations of the infectious process, depending on the severity of the disease (increase in body temperature, changeability of the child’s mood, decrease or increase in physical activity).

What should you do if an infant’s eye festers? You should immediately contact an ophthalmologist. Any delay can negatively affect the function of the organ and lead to disability.

Why do infants' eyes fester?

In children of the first year of life, the immune system is imperfect; any infectious process can proceed very violently, involving many organs and systems. The slightest failure to comply with personal hygiene rules can lead to the development of inflammatory reactions.

The baby's eye is festering, what disease can be suspected?

With the exception of injuries to the organ of vision, there are three main diseases, the clinical picture of which includes: the presence of a purulent process:

dacryocystitis,
blepharitis,
conjunctivitis.

Dacryocystitis is an inflammatory process that occurs in the lacrimal sac, the main cause of which is obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct.

Due to their development, dacryocystitis is divided into primary (occurring during the first weeks of life) and secondary (developing in older children).

A characteristic difference, despite the similarity of the entire clinical picture (conjunctival hyperemia, swelling of the eyelids, purulent discharge, abundance of crusts on the eyelids), is that this disease is one-sided. Almost all mothers note that only one eye of a newborn festeres.

In newborns, the cause of the development of the disease lies in the gelatin film located in the lower part of the nasolacrimal duct, which should rupture with the first breath. If this process does not occur in the baby, then the lack of patency of the nasolacrimal duct is the main reason for the development of the inflammatory process. The child experiences persistent lacrimation with the appearance of mucous and purulent discharge with further progression of the disease.

Secondary dacryocystitis occurs in older children. Very often, this disease is a consequence of untreated dacryocystitis in newborns. The development of this disease is also associated with chronic sinusitis or injuries to the nose or eyes.

Diagnosis of dacryocystitis

In addition to standard diagnostic techniques (establishment of visual acuity and field of vision (performed for children over 4 years old), examination of the fundus, examination in direct and transmitted light)), carry out special procedures:

Vesta canalicular test. A piece of cotton wool is inserted into the lower nasal passage, while a coloring solution is instilled into the eye. The test is considered positive if the tampon stains within 2 minutes. If after 10 minutes the paint has not saturated the cotton wool, then the test is considered negative, and the diagnosis of dacryocystitis is confirmed.
Probing of the nasolacrimal duct in children, for diagnostic purposes, is carried out with great caution, since the structures are very delicate, and the reaction of young children is pronounced.
Vesta nasolacrimal test. The lacrimal sac is first cleaned by pressing and rinsing with a 2% boric acid solution. Then a solution of protargol is instilled. After the child has blinked, the remnants of protargol are cleaned and pressed onto the area of the lacrimal sac. If the nasolacrimal duct functions normally, a colored liquid should appear.
lacrimal ducts using contrast allows you to visualize the level of blockage of the nasolacrimal duct.

Treatment of dacryocystitis

primary dacryocystitis is easily treated, so if you notice that a newborn’s eye is festering, immediately consult an ophthalmologist;
in case of severe purulent process, antibiotics are prescribed in the form of drops, taking into account sensitivity to them;
The main method of treatment is rightfully considered to be massage of the lacrimal sac area, the technique of which is taught by an ophthalmologist. Massage should be performed 5 times a day, before feeding the baby, for 2 weeks. Do not attempt massage before consulting with your doctor. Remember that one wrong move can do more harm than good;
in cases where the desired effect was not achieved, you will be recommended to wash the lacrimal ducts;
if patency could not be restored, then the next step will be to perform probing or bougienage of the lacrimal canal to remove the obstruction and ensure tear outflow;
in severe cases, surgical treatment is indicated - dacryocystorhinostomy, which is aimed at creating an artificial nasolacrimal duct;
secondary dacryocystitis can only be treated surgically.

Blepharitis, depending on the form of the disease, is divided into scaly, ulcerative, angular, meibomian and demodectic.

Ulcerative blepharitis tends to develop mainly in children. It is characterized by severe pain, since there are always scales under the eyelids that bleed.
In adolescents, angular blepharitis most often occurs, which is characterized by the presence of foamy contents, scales and ulcers in the corners of the eyes.
Demodectic blepharitis, caused by the Demodex mite, occurs with equal frequency in both adults and children and is manifested by abundant loss of eyelashes, the follicles of which the mite feeds on.

Diagnosis of blepharitis

Before treatment, the necessary examination is carried out:

standard diagnostic techniques: establishing visual acuity and field of vision (performed for children over 4 years of age), examination of the fundus, examination in direct and transmitted light));
special diagnostic study - microscopy of crusts and eyelashes.

Always, before starting treatment, a smear is taken from the conjunctival cavity to conduct a bacteriological study, which makes it possible to identify the causative agent of the disease and select antibacterial therapy.

Treatment

if the eye festers or there is suppuration of the eyelid, then antibacterial ointments are prescribed, which must be applied at least 4 times a day;
to improve the regenerative properties of the skin, the edges of the eyelids are lubricated with sea buckthorn oil;
Lubricating the edges of the eyelids with a solution of brilliant green is not recommended for children due to the high likelihood of developing chemical problems in both the eyelid and the eye itself;
for demodectic blepharitis, special ointments (zinc-ichthyol, metronidazole and others) and washing gels are prescribed to eliminate the mite. They are used continuously for 25 days, after which the eyelashes and scales are re-examined.

Remember that self-medication can be dangerous to health; be sure to consult an ophthalmologist.

conjunctivitis is a disease in which the inflammatory process occurs in the conjunctiva;
the immune system in children is prone to hyperreactive responses to any infectious agent, so even newborns’ eyes can fester;
in children, untreated conjunctivitis can lead to the development of complications;
if a baby’s eye is festering, then its general condition worsens: the child is capricious and tries to rub his eyes;
despite the fact that purulent discharge is characteristic of bacterial conjunctivitis, the course of any conjunctivitis can be complicated by the addition of an infectious component;
Typically, epidemic conjunctivitis is common in the autumn-spring period, but can also occur in cold, rainy summers. You can become infected with conjunctivitis through contact - through personal belongings.

The disease is most severe at an early age. In addition to the fact that the baby’s eyes fester, a general response of the body is often observed: chills with a sharp increase in temperature to high numbers, lethargy, and adynamism.

The eye of an infant can fester even in the presence of an inflammatory process in other organs and tissues. In this case, the development of conjunctivitis is considered as a manifestation of a septic reaction, prescribing massive antibacterial therapy;

Initially, one eye is infected, the process becomes bilateral after 2 - 3 days. The discharge is purulent, its color can vary from yellow to green, it is characterized by the presence of many crusts along the ciliary edge of the eyelids, and pronounced blepharospasm. Epidemic conjunctivitis is always differentiated from diphtheritic conjunctivitis, the peculiarity of which is the presence of almost permanent crusts along the edge of the eyelids and films on the conjunctiva. If you still try to remove them, the underlying tissues begin to bleed heavily;

a special group of conjunctivitis caused by sexually transmitted infections - gonococcal and chlamydia - are another reason why the eyes of a newborn fester.

The child is infected at the time of birth. Development is fast and lightning fast. The serous discharge becomes hemorrhagic within 24 hours, and then purulent with a pronounced green color.

A characteristic feature is the bleeding of the conjunctiva upon contact with it. A corneal ulcer almost always develops, characterized by a high probability of perforation with subsequent death of the eye. Visual functions are not restored.

Diagnosis of conjunctivitis

Standard diagnostic techniques are used (establishment of visual acuity and field (performed for children over 4 years old), examination of the fundus, examination in direct and transmitted light).

Treatment of conjunctivitis

What to do if a baby or newborn has a purulent eye?

always, before starting treatment, a smear is taken from the conjunctival cavity to conduct a bacteriological study, which allows one to identify the causative agent of the disease and select antibacterial therapy;
Conjunctivitis cannot be treated on its own; even with a relatively mild course, consultation with an ophthalmologist is necessary. Self-prescription of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drops jeopardizes the provision of assistance in the development of complications. Traditional medicine recipes very often lead to undesirable consequences, including loss of vision;
drug treatment is based on the use of antibacterial eye drops. Their main active ingredients are fluoroquinolones (recommended for use from 7 years of age) or aminoglycosides (used from birth). However, in cases of severe infection, when the risk of loss of vision is higher than possible adverse reactions, antibacterial drugs can be used regardless of the child’s age. Eye drops are often applied - up to 8 times a day.

Prevention of conjunctivitis in newborns in the maternity hospital

Prevention of chlamydial and gonococcal conjunctivitis is carried out by prescribing prenatal sanitation for pregnant women, followed by treatment and instillation of antiseptics and antibacterial drops into the eyes of newborns immediately after birth.

It should be remembered that even with the classic picture of the inflammatory process, one should not discount the injury to the organ of vision. The risk of infection of internal structures is high. In this case, timely treatment is the secret to successful treatment!

Proper child care, early training in the rules of personal hygiene at two to three years old, hardening, and stimulation of the immune system will protect you and your child from such a formidable group of infectious eye diseases, which will allow you to preserve your vision for many years!

Is your child complaining that it feels like there is sand in his eye? Attention: the baby has inflammation - see a doctor quickly!

The conjunctiva is the mucous membrane that covers the outside of the eye. The suffix "itis" in Latin means inflammation, so the word " conjunctivitis"can be deciphered as "inflammation of the conjunctiva."

In fact, our mucous membrane is quite resistant to infections. Tear fluid has antibacterial activity, it contains a lot of immunoglobulins, lysozyme and beta-lysine. They “devour” microorganisms and prevent inflammation from developing. Our eyelids also protect the eye - they mechanically wash away tears and thus reduce the number of bacteria on its surface. However, even such barriers do not always save.

Pathogens conjunctivitis there may be bacteria (staphylococci, meningococci, streptococci, pneumococci, etc.), viruses (virus, measles, adenoviruses) and chlamydia. There are also allergic conjunctivitis, the causes of which are pollen, dust, odors, etc.

What's happened?

The disease occurs differently in children than in adults. Children's sleep and appetite are disturbed, they even refuse their favorite foods and become capricious. Signs conjunctivitis:

sticking of the eyelids in the morning, formation of yellow crusts on the eyelids;
photophobia;
tearing and suppuration. When retracting the lower eyelid, swelling of the conjunctiva and redness are visible.

Don’t forget that babies don’t have tears yet, so any discharge is a reason to suspect conjunctivitis. Older children complain of a burning sensation, a feeling of a foreign body in the eye, and pain. Visual acuity may deteriorate, and the child will say that he sees “fuzzy.” In children under 7 years of age, the disease is very acute.

Since at this age children play together and have not yet learned to always observe the rules of personal hygiene, the disease can easily be transmitted from one child to another. If changes are detected in the child's eyes, you should immediately contact an ophthalmologist. After all, the cause of redness of the eye can be an eyelash caught in the eye, an attack of glaucoma (a disease characterized by increased intraocular pressure), or inflammation in the deeper layers of the eye, which threatens vision loss.

As a last resort, if it is impossible to immediately see a doctor, provide first aid to the child yourself:

every 1-2 hours during the first day, wash your eyes: remove crusts from the eyelids with a cotton swab dipped in a warm solution of chamomile, furatsilin;
in the next 7 days, carry out the same procedure, but 2-3 times a day;
In addition to rinsing, instill disinfectant drops into your eyes every 2-4 hours. You can use a 10% (for infants), 20% (for children over 1 year old) solution of albucid, 0.25% solution of chloramphenicol, fucithalmic, eubital, vitabact, colbiocin. There are special ointments - 1% erythromycin, 1% tetracycline, Tobrex;
as the process subsides, the number of instillations is reduced to 3-4 times a day;
Carry out all rinsing and instillation on both eyes, even if only one is red. Often the disease begins in one eye and then moves to the other eye.

Do not apply a bandage under any circumstances - it creates all the conditions (warm, humid) for the spread of infection and the development of complications.

Everything is different

Adenoviral conjunctivitis- the most common and contagious. First, the baby's temperature rises, appetite decreases and headaches. Then the temperature drops, and the condition seems to improve. Then the temperature rises again and the eyes turn red, although there is little or no discharge. The baby's lymph nodes become enlarged and his throat may hurt. With viral infections, the sensitivity of the eye is reduced - the baby will not have strong complaints of burning or tearing. Treat adenoviral conjunctivitis by instilling interferon, poludan, placing 0.25% tebrofen or florenal ointment behind the lower eyelid.
Herpetic conjunctivitis is characterized by the appearance of characteristic blisters on the edges of the eyelids and around the eyes. The child has severe lacrimation and photophobia. For treatment, the antiherpetic drug acyclovir is used (both locally and orally).
Pneumococcal and staphylococcal conjunctivitis begins acutely, first in one eye, then in the other. The eyes are very red, pus is literally flowing out of them.
Gonococcal conjunctivitis develops in newborns 2-3 days after birth. The source of infection is the mother's birth canal, medical personnel or care items. There is copious mucous discharge coming from the baby's eyes. Due to severe swelling of the eyelids, the eyes practically cannot open. This conjunctivitis is very dangerous and, if left untreated, can cause inflammation of the entire eye (endophthalmitis).
Diphtheria conjunctivitis is characterized by the presence of severe swelling of the eye and films, which, when removed, may bleed and cause rough scars. It is necessary to wait for the films to “come off” on their own on the 7-10th day.
Allergic conjunctivitis - they are characterized by seasonal occurrence: the end of winter - the beginning of spring. Both eyes are always affected at once. Boys get sick much more often. The child is very worried. The treatment of such conjunctivitis is different from others. The baby needs to wear sunglasses (they are made for children from 6 months). 2-3 times a day you need to instill (only as prescribed by a doctor) immunosuppressants (dexamethasone, hydrocortisone) and antiallergic drops (lecrolin, allergoftal, spersallerg, allergodil, diphenhydramine solution).

Parents quite often face the problem when children develop purulent discharge from their eyes. Eyes can fester in children of any age. There are many reasons for this.

Why do the eyes of a newborn fester?

As the baby moves through the birth canal during labor, it can become infected in the eyes. In this regard, children's sodium sulfacyl () is instilled into newborns immediately after birth for prophylactic purposes. This does not always lead to the expected result. Sometimes a mother discovers that the baby’s eyes have become infected only after returning from the maternity hospital.

The eyes of newborns can fester for five reasons:

(eye inflammation) caused by bacteria;
dacryocyst or dacryostenosis - inflammation of the sac that develops as a result of obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct;
reaction to sodium sulfacyl;
viral conjunctivitis;
allergic reaction.

If you notice that your newborn baby's eye has become infected, you should call a pediatrician or bring the child to him for an appointment. He will assess the severity of the baby’s condition and make the appropriate decision: either he will prescribe treatment himself, or he will organize a consultation with an ophthalmologist.

Treatment

In case of mild inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eyes, doctors prescribe the following treatment:

Rinse the eyes with furacillin solution. For this purpose, use a ready-made solution or dilute one tablet of the drug in 200 ml of boiled, non-hot water. Children can also wash their eyes with chamomile decoction or saline sodium chloride solution. To do this, soak a cotton swab in the appropriate solution and wipe the eye from the outer edge to the inner. The procedure is done after the child wakes up 4 to 8 times a day.
Instillation of a 0.25% solution of chloramphenicol into the child's eyes. Before instilling the drug, the baby’s eyes must be rinsed with boiled water, and then, pulling back the lower eye, drop 1 or 2 drops of the solution into each eye. This procedure should be repeated 4 to 8 times a day after preliminary washing of the eyes. Treatment is continued until the symptoms of the disease disappear. But if it does not give the expected result, it is necessary to consult the child with an ophthalmologist. If conjunctivitis occurs without complications, then complete recovery occurs in 3-5 days.

Dacryocystitis develops when the nasolacrimal duct is obstructed. The eyes communicate with the nasal cavity through the nasolacrimal duct. Through it, debris and microorganisms are removed from the eyes with tears. But in the same way, infectious agents can enter the eyes from the nasal cavity. In newborns, the patency of the nasolacrimal duct may be impaired. The film that is in it must burst or dissolve either at birth or during the first two weeks of the baby’s life. But in some children it is destroyed only by 7-8 months of age.

If the nasolacrimal duct is blocked, tears cannot flow out of the eye. When microorganisms enter it, they multiply there and cause inflammation. First, a tear constantly flows from the child’s eye, and then pus. Even if at first the process is one-sided, over time pus is discharged from the second eye.

The inflammatory process can spread from the eye to the lacrimal sac. In this case, dacryocystitis develops. Its main signs are the separation of pus after pressing with a finger on the lacrimal sac, as well as swelling in the inner corner of the eye. A mother cannot independently distinguish whether her baby has dacryocystitis or conjunctivitis. If a baby's eye has become infected, the pediatrician will first prescribe treatment for conjunctivitis. When it does not bring the expected result, the baby should be shown to an ophthalmologist who can make a final diagnosis.

Treatment of dacryocystitis in newborns is long-term, recovery occurs 2-4 months after the start of conservative measures. Complex therapy is carried out:

antibacterial eye drops;
zinc-adrenaline drops, which have an anti-edematous effect;
massage of the lacrimal sac.

The massage is done this way:

the index finger of the hand is placed on the inner corner of the eye, where the lacrimal sac is located;
clockwise make 5-6 circular movements.

It is recommended to do the procedure 4 to 8 times a day. After this, the pus is better separated from the lacrimal sac. During a massage, the film in the nasolacrimal duct often breaks through. If after the massage there is no recovery, ophthalmologists open the nasolacrimal duct using a special probe. This way its patency is restored.

Unfortunately, dacryocystitis is sometimes complicated by an abscess of the lacrimal sac. The baby develops pronounced swelling of the eyelids, copious discharge of pus and an increase in body temperature. If such symptoms are present, the child should be immediately hospitalized in the eye department.

Why do the eyes fester in older children?

The cause of purulent discharge from the eyes in older children is conjunctivitis. The clinical symptoms of bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are practically not much different. Your doctor can make a more accurate diagnosis based on your medical history. So, for example, if the baby has been in contact with children suffering from a viral disease, one can think that the cause of conjunctivitis is viruses. But if his eyes fester after he played in the sandbox and rubbed them with dirty hands, then most likely the cause of the disease is bacteria.

Regardless of the expected nature of conjunctivitis, treatment begins with washing the eyes with tea, chamomile decoction, isotonic sodium chloride solution or furatsilin solution. If there is reason to suspect a bacterial origin of conjunctivitis, then eye drops with anti-inflammatory drugs or antibiotics are prescribed.

Most often, doctors prescribe 0.25% chloramphenicol eye drops. If the child does not tolerate this drug, then it is recommended to drop Albucid or Tsipromed into the eyes. They have a local effect and are practically not absorbed into the blood. You should perform from 4 to 8 instillations of the drug per day. If the doctor determines that the inflammatory process is severe, he may prescribe antibacterial ointments that will need to be placed under the eyelids.

If there is reason to believe that conjunctivitis is caused by viruses, the child is prescribed only eye rinsing for the first 2-3 days. If after this there is no improvement, then treatment is continued with the same drugs that are used for bacterial inflammation of the eyes. This is necessary in order to prevent the development of bacterial flora due to impaired outflow of tear fluid through the nasolacrimal duct.

For children who have catarrhal symptoms, vasoconstrictor drops are dripped into the nose. They reduce swelling of the nasal mucosa, after which the patency of the nasolacrimal duct is restored. If your baby has the first signs of conjunctivitis or pain in the eyes, he should be consulted with a pediatrician or ophthalmologist.

Allergic conjunctivitis

Allergic conjunctivitis differs from viral and bacterial conjunctivitis in that symptoms of the disease immediately appear on both sides. It is also not accompanied by an increase in body temperature. Temporary relief occurs after taking antihistamines.

Older children may experience eye irritation when dust or chemicals come in contact with them. Signs of the disease may appear after swimming in a pool or instilling eye medications. Typically, there is no need for treatment for this type of irritation. All symptoms disappear a few days after stopping contact with the irritant.