Introduction
Inflammation of the conjunctiva is one of the most common eye diseases, which is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. This is located on the inside of the eyelids and on the eyeball. The conjunctiva irritation leads to increased blood circulation and the typical reddened eye. Adults as well as children and babies can suffer from conjunctivitis. (see: Conjunctivitis in small children) The causes of conjunctivitis can be different and the disease is not always contagious, but it usually has unpleasant accompanying symptoms.
Causes of conjunctivitis in the baby
The inflammation of the eyes can be caused by: but also by various environmental influences. However, conjunctivitis can also occur as a side effect of other diseases. A basic distinction is made between non-infectious conjunctivitis (non-infectious) and infectious conjunctivitis (infectious) inflammation of the conjunctiva.
A contagious, infectious conjunctivitis can be caused by bacteria or viruses, whereby the transmission occurs via indirect or direct contact with the eye. Herpes viruses or colds can cause the so-called viral conjunctivitis. Non-infectious conjunctivitis can occur in connection with hay fever or as a reaction to house dust, cosmetics or pollen.
Other causes can include excessive UV radiation (from solarium, holidays in the south, welding) and foreign bodies, smoke and chemicals. With babies, another cause also plays an important role. The tear ducts are not yet fully developed, which can lead to neonatal conjunctivitis.
This is because the excess tear fluid in a baby cannot drain sufficiently through the constricted tear-nose-ladder channel. The baby has watery eyes and possible germs remain in the eye longer, which increases the risk of inflammation. During the birth process, bacteria may already have been transmitted to the small child. – Bacteria
- Viruses
- Foreign matter
- Allergies
Symptoms
Often only one eye is affected by conjunctivitis at first, but itching and wiping often results in transmission to the second eye in just a few days. Typical symptoms are:
- Red eyes, often associated with swollen eyelids
- The inflamed eye watering more
- The eye secretes yellowish mucous and purulent secretions
- Usually a foreign body sensation is described when blinking, which acts like a “grain of sand
- Especially in the morning when waking up the inflamed eye is strongly sticky due to the increased secretions
- Stinging eyes during the day
- Pain during eyelid movements
Usually conjunctivitis in babies is not accompanied by fever. Conjunctivitis caused by allergies or foreign bodies is only locally limited to the eyes.
Also, most conjunctivitis in babies caused by bacteria or viruses is usually without fever. Sometimes, however, conjunctivitis occurs as a side effect of a viral infection. This is when a flu-like infection occurs in conjunction with conjunctivitis.
Particularly pronounced and highly contagious are viral conjunctivitis, which is caused by so-called adenoviruses. Fever can also occur here. In any case a paediatrician should be consulted and contact with other children and adults should be avoided as far as possible.
Treatment by a doctor is advisable, as the symptoms can also be mistaken for conjunctivitis, but possibly another eye disease is behind it. The doctor will assess the cause of the conjunctivitis on the basis of the existing symptoms and, more rarely, additionally with a smear test and will then prescribe appropriate eye drops or eye ointments which are suitable for the pathogen present. In case of allergic conjunctivitis, the corresponding allergy can be identified by a test and then anti-allergic eye drops are prescribed.
If the symptoms of conjunctivitis occur in babies, a doctor should be consulted to find the exact cause and provide appropriate treatment. Nevertheless, the therapy can be supported by home remedies. Cold or warm compresses, which can be applied to the baby’s inflamed eye for about 10 to 15 minutes, are particularly simple.
Warm compresses are suitable for bacterial inflammation, cold ones for allergic conjunctivitis. Saline solution from the pharmacy is suitable for washing out the sticky and encrusted eyes. Honey solution as a household remedy is suitable to drip it into the eyes and to counteract the inflammation as it has an anti-inflammatory effect.
For this purpose about 2 teaspoons of honey should be dissolved in half a litre of boiled water and drizzled into the affected eye several times a day. Also the laying on of raw potatoes, which are grated before to a coarse mash, works against the inflammation. There are also various homeopathic remedies that can be used for a baby’s conjunctivitis.
These include, for example, Euphrasia eye drops, which supply the eye with fluid. Other homeopathic remedies are Aconitum, Apis, Belladonna and Pulsatilla, which can be used depending on the type of inflammation. In any case, a doctor or alternative practitioner should be consulted.
In the case of conjunctivitis caused by bacteria, however, these eye drops are often not sufficient and antibiotic-containing drops are necessary. Before using any eye drops on babies, a paediatrician should always be consulted, who can prescribe the appropriate tropics for the situation at hand. With babies it is often difficult to get the eye drops into the eye.
The best place to do this is in the inner corner of the baby’s eye when lying down. The drops will then disperse by themselves. Floxal