What is the treatment for conjunctivitis in children?

Conjunctiva is a mucous transparent coat covering the eyeball. It is very resistant to the effects of various infections. A man's tear is a natural antibacterial composition that includes immunoglobulin, beta-lysine and lysozyme. These substances prevent the penetration of harmful microorganisms into the skin of the eye and the onset of inflammation. The eye lids also perform protective functions, but sometimes these barriers are also unable to prevent infection.

Conjunctivitis is a fairly common eye disease in children. But it takes place in the baby, in contrast to the adult man, quite differently. The child does not sleep well, his appetite disappears, he becomes whiny and irritable.

Signs of children's conjunctivitis are:

• photophobia;
• Eyelids after a dream are glued because of the purulent crusts formed on them;
• Severe lachrymation and / or discharge of pus;
• Redness of the conjunctiva and its puffiness.

So, what is the treatment for conjunctivitis? Before you get an answer to this question, you need to understand what type of conjunctivitis is causing the baby trouble.

Depending on the pathogens that provoked this disease, distinguish between bacterial, viral and allergic types.

Bacterial conjunctivitis

It is formed when germs or bacteria enter the conjunctiva. The most common are staphylococci, pneumococci, streptococci, less often - gonococci and chlamydia.

Staphylococcal or pneumococcal type of conjunctivitis are characterized by abundant opacity and strong reddening of the eye.

What is the treatment for a bacterial type conjunctivitis ? Treatment is reduced to instilling in the child's eye an aqueous solution of antibiotics in drops and ointments, whose composition also contains antibiotics.

Viral conjunctivitis

Treatment can be prescribed only 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 frequent and infectious type. It is characterized by a rise in body temperature and redness of the eyes in combination with the symptoms of colds: runny nose, sore throat. When asked about the treatment of this type of conjunctivitis, it can be answered that the best way to cope with the manifestations of this kind of drop disease is Poludan or Interferon.

Herpetic type is determined by the appearance around the eyes of the child and / or on the edges of the eyelids of the blisters. It is accompanied by photophobia and lacrimation. It is treated with anti-herpetic drugs, in particular with the drug "Acyclovir".

Allergic conjunctivitis

What is the treatment for conjunctivitis of this species? First it is necessary to find out on which allergen the baby has such a reaction. It can be banal house dust, household chemicals, pollen of flowering plants, a new product in the diet and many other reasons. For this type of disease is characterized by the absence of eyelid edema and reddening of the mucous membrane of the eye. Both eyes are affected simultaneously, the baby is bothered by a constant intense itching. This type of conjunctivitis is treated with immunosuppressants (preparations "Hydrocortisone" or "Dexamethasone") and antiallergic drops (means "Allergodyl", "Allergofftal" and others).

So, children's conjunctivitis. Than to treat the given disease in each concrete case, now it is clear. A little systematize the information received.

The first day of the disease requires every two or two and a half hours to wash the baby eyes. For this, an aqueous solution of furacilin or an infusion of chamomile pharmacy is perfect. Crusts must be removed by wet them beforehand. It should be remembered that to treat each eye you need to take a separate tampon. This will help to 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 you should instill disinfectant drops. A 10% solution of the drug "Albucid" is suitable for breast. Older children - solution "Levomycetin", "Vitabakt", "Eubetal" and others. As the condition improves, the number of instillations can be reduced to 3-4 times within a day. A good effect gives 1% of the ointment: "Tetracycline", "Erythromycin."

It is important to remember that if only one eye is infected, then the second one should also be dripped and rinsed. Very often inflammation from one eye goes to the other.

This article describes in some detail the causes of the development of this disease in the baby and answers to the question "how to treat conjunctivitis eyes."