Conjunctivitis in children, viral, allergic or bacterial: symptoms and treatment
Conjunctivitis in children is a fairly common "inflammation. The eyes of a child affected by conjunctiva inflammation become red, burn and may present - depending on the severity of the disorder and its origin - different symptoms.
Conjunctivitis in children, in fact, can be viral, allergic or bacterial: it depends on the cause that triggered the inflammation inside the eye. Once the origin of the conjunctivitis has been established, it can be treated with the most suitable therapy .
This disorder should never be underestimated: if you think your baby may be suffering from it, contact your pediatrician immediately. Meanwhile, here is some useful information on the possible causes of conjunctivitis in children, the different symptoms, treatments (different if it is viral or infectious conjunctivitis) and prevention.
What are the causes of conjunctivitis in children?
A cause of conjunctivitis in children can be a "bacterial, viral or allergic infection. The irritation can also be due to the actual presence of foreign bodies in the child's eyes (penetration of chemical or physical agents that cause irritation): in these cases we can speak of irritative conjunctivitis.
If an allergic cause or the presence of external agents in the eye causes the conjunctival infection, the conjunctivitis will not be contagious. The danger of contagion, however, arises if it is viral or bacterial conjunctivitis. The infection can easily pass. child to child by direct contact or through contaminated objects such as clothes, towels, sheets. It will therefore be necessary to take particular care to leave your child suffering from viral or bacterial conjunctivitis at home: schools and kindergartens would allow a rapid infection.
It is important to contact your doctor immediately: the earlier you start the right therapy, the less chance there is for the infection to get worse, increasing the chances of an aggravation of the risks associated with it.
What are the symptoms?
As we have anticipated, the symptoms of conjunctivitis in children are different according to the cause that led to the infection. In most cases, however, the most frequent symptoms are redness of the eyes, swelling and burning. itching (which will necessarily be more annoying if your child suffers from allergic conjunctivitis), sensation of a foreign body inside the eye, more or less abundant tearing and crusts due to tearing itself.
Other possible symptoms of conjunctival infection are photophobia (ie the discomfort caused by light), the presence of secretions such as pus (more frequent in the case of bacterial conjunctivitis), pain, presence of conjunctival chemosis (ie swelling of the conjunctiva, the membrane that covers the eye from which the disorder takes its name).
Conjunctivitis in children can occur unilateral (when it affects only one eye) or bilateral (if it affects both). In cases of infectious conjunctivitis it is almost always bilateral conjunctivitis and the child could present, in addition to swelling and redness, a sensation of a foreign body inside the eye that leads him to rub them continuously, as if he wanted to clean the inside. Attention, in these cases: it is better to avoid contact with other children because it could be a contagious infection.
How is conjunctivitis in children treated?
How to cure conjunctivitis in children? First of all: DIY prohibited! Even if you are sure that it is a "conjunctival infection, it is always better to take your child to the pediatrician or the" ophthalmologist for a specialist to carry out the necessary checks and reach a diagnosis. Diagnosis is important in understanding which treatment is best suited to the case.
If the pediatrician or the ophthalmologist tells you that it is a viral conjunctivitis (the most dangerous form of conjunctivitis, in most cases linked to a flu state), it will be necessary to proceed with local antibiotic eye drops to be taken together with local antivirals .
Viral conjunctivitis is likely to aggravate its symptoms in a short time, leading to an increase in the swelling of the eyelid and conjunctiva, intense lacrimation with visual disturbances and photophobia and, finally, a swelling of the lymph node near the ear, connected It is therefore better to provide antibiotic therapy as soon as possible! In some cases the doctor may also recommend the use of a cortisone eye drops.
If your child, on the other hand, is diagnosed with allergic conjunctivitis, the therapy to be followed will involve the use of local antihistamine eye drops. child. If it is a particularly aggressive form, it may be necessary also in this case to help with the association of a cortisone eye drops.
How to prevent it?
Conjunctivitis in children must be treated in the fastest and most effective way because, rather than being actually dangerous, in most cases it is just very annoying. Preventing it with some useful measures allows you to prevent your baby from becoming infected and spreading it to others.
Hygiene is the first step in preventing conjunctivitis: try to clean your child's eyes often, making sure to wash your own hands well before proceeding. If someone in the family has conjunctivitis, they must be very careful to avoid a direct contact with the child so as not to infect him, but also indirect contact: therefore avoid that the child touches towels, clothes and sheets used by family members affected by the infection.
Finally, an important rule to teach your child is to avoid putting their hands to their eyes as much as possible! If he feels any burning, itching, or foreign body sensation, teach him to rinse his eyes using water instead of his fingers.
For more scientific information on conjunctivitis in children, you can consult the website of the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital.
