Does the child complain that the eye hurts and itches? Or in the morning can hardly open swollen eyelids with stuck together cilia? It can be stated with a sufficient degree of confidence that the baby develops conjunctivitis.
The disease seems to be not very serious and some of its forms gradually disappear even with minimal treatment. But the consequences of a frivolous attitude are very deplorable: from impaired visual acuity and its complete loss to meningitis and sepsis. In advanced cases, deformation of the eyelid, death of the eye is possible. Therefore, without falling into a quiet panic, parents should immediately show the child to a pediatric ophthalmologist. He will determine the specific etiology, make an individual prescription of drugs and procedures.
What is conjunctivitis?
The conjunctiva is the mucous membrane that lines the inside of the eyelids, passing to the eyeball. Its inflammation in medicine is called conjunctivitis.
Common causes of the disease:
- allergic reaction;
- viruses, fungi, bacteria;
- prolonged contact with irritants: dust, chemicals, smoke;
- exposure to light;
- non-compliance with the instructions for wearing contact lenses;
- reaction to medications;
- hypothermia, overwork of the eyes;
- diseases of the organs of vision: astigmatism, myopia, hyperopia.
Types of conjunctivitis in children
There are two types of so-called dirty hands disease:
1. Spicy. With a sharp onset of malaise, small capillaries expand, sometimes they burst. Then the eyelids swell and purulent / mucous fluid is produced, often abundant.
2. Chronic. For children is not characteristic, although it happens with them. Pathology develops sluggishly, gradually affecting both eyes.
According to the etiology, several forms of conjunctivitis are classified. Each has its own characteristics, so self-medication is strictly forbidden.
1. Bacterial.
2. Chlamydial.
3. Viral.
4. Fungal.
5. Allergic.
The external manifestations of each of them are quite similar:
- discomfort (feeling of sand under the eyelids, pain, fear of light, burning);
- allocation;
- redness of the tissues of the eyeball protein;
- swelling of the eyelids.
The most common in children are viral and bacterial forms.
Viral conjunctivitis in children
Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye, provoked by viruses, is called viral conjunctivitis.
Species and etiology
1. Herpetic. The causative agent is the Herpes simplex virus.
2. Adenovirus. Called by adenoviruses, transmitted through personal contact, by airborne droplets.
3. Against the background of common diseases. The cause of the occurrence are the causative agents of the corresponding viral ailments transmitted by airborne droplets.
4. Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis. The causative agent is the adenovirus of the eighth serovar (group).
5. Epidemic hemorrhagic. It occurs due to infection with Enterovirus-70, which occurs through personal contact with the carrier.
5. Provoked by molluscum contagiosum. It develops against the background of a disease caused by dermatotropic poxvirus. There is a lesion of various parts of the skin, including the eyelids of the baby, the infection is transmitted by contact-household means.
Symptoms of viral conjunctivitis in children
Despite the fact that some symptoms in the development of all forms are identical to each other, specific signs of the disease are present in each of them.
Herpetic conjunctivitis in children
A very common form among children. Most often, 1 eye suffers, the disease develops slowly, lethargic. The most characteristic symptomatology: specific rashes on the wings of the nose and eyelids, edema of the hyperemic conjunctiva, separated from the conjunctival sac (mucous, mucopurulent).
In addition, there are signs inherent in specific forms:
- follicles with follicular;
- ulcers / erosion on the membrane and along the edges of the eyelids with vesicular-ulcerative.
Nodules in the sclera may also appear, resembling flicken (vesicles with serous contents).
Adenoviral conjunctivitis in children
The incubation period is about 8 days. The onset of the disease is inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, accompanied by an increase in temperature. After its differences, symptoms appear alternately in the eyes with a difference of 2 days. The cornea becomes less sensitive, regional nodes grow.
Specific signs of various forms of adenoviral conjunctivitis:
1. Catarrhal form - hyperemia of the mucous membrane of the eye, accompanied by swelling of the eyelids with transitional folds. Small quantities appear in the conjunctival cavity, the cornea loses its sensitivity a little. Often observed in infants.
2. Follicular form - edema and hyperemia of the eyelid with transitional folds, on which most jelly-like follicles of various sizes are concentrated.
3. The film-like form - the thinnest grayish-white film on the shell, often bleeding under them.
Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis in children
Symptoms appear 4-8 days after infection. The first sign is a general malaise and an increase in regional lymph nodes, their palpation is painful. Further diagnosis is performed by hyperemia and swelling of the conjunctiva, a relatively small amount of mucopurulent discharge, and a decrease in the sensitivity of the cornea of the eye. After about 7 days, signs of keratitis are recognized - clusters of point infiltrates (seals) on the cornea. Having recovered, the baby will have a formed immunity.
Epidemic hemorrhagic conjunctivitis in children
The incubation period is up to 48 hours, the child recovers within 12 days. Symptoms typical of all forms against a background of general malaise: photophobia, acute pain, the effect of the presence of an extraneous object under the eyelids. The doctor diagnoses an increase in the size of the lymph nodes (parotid), ordinary hyperemia of the transitional lower fold, follicles on it, and mucous discharge. 2 days after the onset of the disease, the sensitivity of the cornea decreases, subconjunctival hemorrhages appear. Rarely, but there are subepithelial infiltrates.
Conjunctivitis provoked by molluscum contagiosum
It is very easily determined by a doctor due to typical changes on the surface of the eyelids. Concomitant symptoms are folliculosis, edema, hyperemia of their mucosa with transitional folds.
Conjunctivitis with chickenpox (a common viral disease)
Long incubation period - up to 21 days. The temperature rises, against this background lacrimation begins, photophobia, an injection (redness) of the eyeball, vesicular rash on the mucous membrane and skin of the eyelids. When the bubbles pass, then small ulcers remain, which subsequently give scarring of small sizes. Mucous fluid is released, keratitis may develop in rare cases.
Methods of treating viral conjunctivitis in children
Severe forms of conjunctivitis, accompanied by the formation of follicles, are usually treated in a hospital. Mild manifestations of serious intervention do not require, treatment is most often aimed at alleviating the condition of the child by washing the eyes and preventing bacterial infection and reinfection.
Regardless of the severity of the disease, it is necessary to consult an ophthalmologist. Most typical destinations:
- ointments for local use - acyclovir 3%, oxalin 0.25%, florenal, 0.5% tebrofen 0.5%;
- drops of interferon, its inductors;
- solutions for the prevention of secondary damage - piloxidine 0.05%, chloramphenicol 0.25%, miramistine 0.01%.
A single dose of drugs, the frequency of use during the day and the duration of treatment in general should be obtained from your doctor.
Bacterial conjunctivitis in children
From the name it is clear that the typical causative agents of the disease are pathogenic bacteria. The specificity of the symptoms depends on the specific type of non-nuclear microorganisms.
Types and causative agents of the main forms
1. Gonococcal (gonoblenorrhea) - the cause is infection with direct contact with Neisser's gonococcus.
2. Diphtheria - the disease is provoked by Clebs - Leffler diphtheria bacillus.
3. Diplobacillary - the causative agent is the diplobacillus Morax-Axenfeld.
4. Pneumococcal - the cause of the disease is pneumococcus.
Symptoms of bacterial conjunctivitis in children
Gonococcal conjunctivitis (gonoblenorrhea)
There are gonoblenorrhea of newborns, children and adults.
Infection of newborns occurs at birth, when the baby passes through the birth canal of a mother with gonorrhea. Another option is for violations of sanitary-hygienic rules for caring for a baby.
Pathology gets an acute development on the 3rd day after birth, starting with a purplish-cyanotic edema of the eyelids. The gap between them is practically invisible; upon opening, a serous-bloody substance pours out. The mucous membrane of the eye is infiltrated, hyperemic, and begins to bleed easily. Untimely treatment and the appearance of complications can lead to complete death of the organ.
Gonoblenorrhea of children is most often observed in girls infected from a patient with a gonorrhea of the parent in violation of personal hygiene. The course is more severe than in newborns. Inflammation quickly passes to the cornea, deep ulcers are formed that destroy the membrane. After perforation, the infection affects the tissues of the eye, as a result of which it dies. That is why timely diagnosis of the disease is extremely important.
Diphtheria conjunctivitis in children
Symptoms of the onset correspond to the signs of diphtheria - fever, loss of sleep, loss of appetite, headaches, growth and soreness of the ear lymph nodes. Further, the baby has puffiness and a change in the color of the eyelids, they become dense and bluish (cyanotic) in color.
Due to the constricted vessels, the mucous membrane is pale, can be covered with thin films, the removal of which is accompanied by bleeding. Subsequently, stellate scars remain on the site of the occurring and passing granulations with pus.
Diplobacillary conjunctivitis
A sick child often blinks, complains of discomfort in the eyes (pain, burning, itching). Hyperemia of the skin appears in the corners of the eyes. The edges of the eyelids turn red and become a little thicker. On the edges of the palpebral fissure, weeping cracks appear on the skin.
Pneumococcal conjunctivitis
It occurs mainly in children, in educational institutions it may have an epidemic character. First, there is a pronounced swelling of the eyelids, then point hemorrhages form on the mucous membrane of the eye protein. The next stage is the appearance of whitish films on the conjunctiva, under which it blushes, but does not bleed. Seals appearing on the shell (infiltrates) pass without a trace.
Treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis in children
The treatment of acute conjunctivitis is carried out in two stages: diagnostic and therapeutic. The first is the specification of the form, the identification of the pathogen and purpose.
1. Isolation of a sick child.
2. Treatment of the eyelids up to 4 times a day with a swab with a disinfectant solution (furatsilin, etc.).
3. Dropping up to 8 times a day in the affected eye drops based on antiseptic or sulfanilamide preparations.
4. Laying at night for ever and ever an antibiotic ointment (tetracycline 1%, gentamicin 0.1%, erythromycin 0.5%).
At the second, therapeutic stage, after a specified diagnosis, adjustments are made to the prescribed treatment. Usually this is instillation (dropwise infusion) into the conjunctival sac of drugs that inhibit the flora found on the mucous membrane.
Memo for mom
Since most types of conjunctivitis are contagious, it is important to follow certain precautions during treatment.
1. Everyone in the family needs to use a personal towel; for the patient, it should hang without touching the rest.
2. A pillowcase on a pillow in a sick child needs to be changed daily.
3. Wash hands frequently with soap.
4. Glass sticks and pipettes should be sterilized.
5. The room where the sick child is housed should be ventilated more often.
6. To carry out daily wet cleaning in the room with soapy water; you can purchase a disinfectant in a pharmacy.
7. The personal belongings of a sick baby should not be used.
8. Daily wipe the door handles and objects that the whole family uses.
Important: untreated conjunctivitis is still dangerous, you can stop the procedure only with the permission of the doctor.
