The conjunctiva is a transparent mucous membrane covering the eyeball. It is very resistant to various infections. Human tear is a natural antibacterial composition that includes immunoglobulin, beta-lysine and lysozyme. These substances prevent the penetration of harmful microorganisms into the lining of the eye and the occurrence of inflammation. The eyelids also perform protective functions, but sometimes these barriers are not able to prevent infection.
Conjunctivitis is a fairly common eye disease in children. But it occurs in a baby, unlike an adult, in a completely different way. The child does not sleep well, his appetite disappears, he becomes tearful and irritable.
Signs of childhood conjunctivitis are:
- photophobia;
- eyelids are glued after sleep due to purulent crusts formed on them;
- severe lacrimation and / or discharge of pus;
- conjunctival redness and swelling.
So, what is conjunctivitis treated with? Before you get the answer to this question, you should understand what type of conjunctivitis is causing the baby troubles.
Depending on the pathogens that provoked this disease, there are bacterial, viral and allergic types.
Bacterial conjunctivitis
It is formed when microbes or bacteria penetrate the conjunctiva of the eye. The most common are staphylococci, pneumococci, streptococci, less commonly gonococci and chlamydia.
Staphylococcal or pneumococcal type of conjunctivitis is characterized by profuse suppuration and severe redness of the eye.
What is bacterial conjunctivitis treated with? Treatment comes down to instilling in the child’s eye an aqueous solution of antibiotics in drops and ointments, the composition of which also contains antibiotics.
Viral conjunctivitis
Treatment can only be prescribed by an ophthalmologist after determining the type of virus that caused the disease. It can be herpes, enterovirus, coxsackie virus or adenovirus.
Adenovirus is the most common and infectious type. It is characterized by a rise in body temperature and redness of the eyes in combination with symptoms of a cold: a runny nose, sore throat. To the question of how this type of conjunctivitis is treated, it can be answered that the drops of “Poludan” or “Interferon” cope best with the manifestations of this type of disease.
The herpetic type is determined by the appearance of bubbles around the eyes of the child and / or on the edges of the eyelids. It is accompanied by photophobia and lacrimation. It is treated with antiherpetic drugs, in particular with the drug Acyclovir.
Allergic conjunctivitis
What is the treatment for conjunctivitis of this type? First you need to find out what allergen the baby has such a reaction to. This can be commonplace household dust, household chemicals, pollen of flowering plants, a new product in the diet and many other reasons. This type of disease is characterized by the absence of edema of the eyelids and redness of the mucous membrane of the eye. Both eyes are affected at the same time, the baby is bothered by constant severe itching. This type of conjunctivitis is treated with immunosuppressants ("Hydrocortisone" or "Dexamethasone" drugs) and anti-allergic drops ("Allergodil", "Allergoftal" and others).
So, children's conjunctivitis. How to treat this disease in each case, it is now clear. We systematize the received information a little.
On the first day of the disease, you need to rinse the baby’s eyes every two or two and a half hours. For this, an aqueous solution of furacilin or an infusion of chamomile pharmacy is perfect. Crusts must be removed after soaking them. It should be remembered that for the treatment of each eye, you need to take a separate swab. This will help avoid re-infection.
In the next day, but not less than a week, the eyes can be washed up to three times during the day.
Every 3 hours, disinfectant drops should be instilled. A 10% solution of Albucid is suitable for infants. Older children - a solution of "Levomycetin", "Vitabact", "Eubetal" and others. As the condition improves, the number of instillations can be reduced to 3-4 times during the day. A good effect is given by 1% ointment: Tetracycline, Erythromycin.
It is important to remember that if only one eye is infected, the second should also be instilled and rinsed. Very often, inflammation passes from one eye to the other.
This article describes in detail the topic of the causes of the development of this disease in a baby and answers the question "how to treat conjunctivitis of the eye."