How To Treat Conjunctivitis In Children?

Conjunctivitis is a fairly common eye condition in babies and children, at different ages. It happens to children because their tear duct is narrower than that of adults. This causes infections to proliferate.

When the conjunctiva is inflamed it can be very annoying. It leads to increased tear production and sometimes secretions. Most symptoms can be treated at home, for example, cleaning the eyes and putting in drops. However, when the child has not improved in more than two days, it is advisable to take him to the pediatrician.

This disease is so common that in general we are not used to treating them with the doctor. Various natural alternatives are known to treat it at home. It all comes down to keeping the area clean. Pediatricians sometimes indicate antibiotics in drops or ointments.

Why does conjunctivitis occur?

Conjunctivitis is produced due to inflammation of the conjunctiva. As a conjunctiva we have a membrane that surrounds the eye and protects it. Sometimes this area can become inflamed or irritated due to viruses, bacteria. Factors such as pollution, smoke, dust, allergies and contact with harmful substances can also cause this inflammation.

We call conjunctivitis to inflammation of the conjunctiva regardless of the cause. However, when it is caused by viruses, it can be a bit longer lasting and difficult to control. In children, the tear duct is very narrow, therefore they are more likely to suffer from this problem.

Faced with this type of inflammation, the eye becomes red, in addition, certain red veins are distinguished in the white part. On the other hand, the eyelids turn quite red, which worsens when we touch it or scratch it excessively. This type of condition can be itchy and painful, which is why children rub their eyes a lot. Light is also often annoying and causes further irritation.

This inflammation also produces a lot of tears and discharge. Therefore, they can be seen with teary eyes. When it comes to a bacterial infection, secretions of different colors and the formation of legañas are common.

How to treat conjunctivitis?

Unless you have spent a long time with the disease, it is something that can be treated at home. The main recommendation is to clean the eyes. It is advisable to use saline solution or boiled water, but there may be other recommendations in this regard.

The following guidelines are recommended to treat simple cases of conjunctivitis.

• The eyes should be cleaned with gauze soaked in saline or boiled water.

• Use sterile gauze to clean the eyes. It is advisable that each eye be cleaned with a different gauze, so as not to contaminate each other. We could use a different color to make sure we are using the correct gauze.
• Each eye should be cleaned from the inside out, that is, from the center of the face towards the temple
• Light massages in the area closest to the nose helps to extract secretions, which helps to heal faster
• After cleaning you can place a few drops of eye drops, as long as it has been indicated by the doctor. Sometimes it also indicates antibiotic ointments
• Remember that the instruments for cleaning and caring for the eyes must be sterilized. When using eye drops, the tip of the dispenser should not touch the eye.

• You may need an extra pair of hands so you can clean and drop without moving your child. It is likely to blink and resist, for this reason we should make sure to complete the process. If we doubt we could lose the dose and disturb the baby unnecessarily
• It is very important to wash your hands before and after cleaning your child’s eyes. Keeping our hands clean prevents us from irritating more or contaminating our own eyes
• It is not recommended to use chamomile infusions to clean children’s eyes, because sometimes they can be allergic to pollen.