Pink Eye In Your Children

Add as a preferred source on Google

Your child is the eye of your life. Just imagine this fond star in your life affected by an infection in their eye itself. Pink eye or conjunctivitis is a common eye infection in children that affects the inner eyelids and surrounding tissues of the eye. Let us discuss the symptoms, causes, and treatments of pink eye to know the infection better as well as to reduce the ailments of your child.

What are the symptoms of Pink Eye?
The most common symptom of pink eye is the redness around the white part and inside the lids of the eye. This symptom is usually accompanied by intense itching, tearing and swelling of the eye membranes. After sleep many children may find it difficult to open their eyes as mucus covers their eyelids. When causes by a bacteria, children with pink eye will have green or yellow discharge from their eyes. While most infections affect both eyes, an abrasion would be expected to just cause symptoms in one eye. Many children also have an enlarged lymph node in front of their ear.

What are the causes of pink Eye?
Pink Eye can be caused by three major infections that are Bacterial infections, viral infections and allergic infections. The most common bacteria that cause pink eye include H. influenza and S. pneumonia. The viral infection caused usually by Adenovirus accompanied by a sore throat. Herpes simplex Virus (HSV) causes a serious and painful viral infection that affects only one eye.

The allergic infections can be happened in many ways. The entrance of a foreign body or trauma also leads to the pink eye in a child. The newborn babies will be affected by chemical irritation that leads to pink eye in them. In more severe cases the pink eye in infants will be caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae or Chlamydia tracheomatis, both of which are STDs and can be transmitted from an infected mother. Infant's blocked tear duct is also a major cause for pink eye in them. More serious causes of a red eye can include acute glaucoma and iritis.

Persistent pink eye can be a sign of an uncommon underlying illness in the body such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Pink eye is also seen in Kawasaki's disease and certain inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

What are the treatments for Pink Eye?
Using eye medicines can treat pink eye. The topical antibiotic eye drops, which might include Polytrim, Tobramycin (Tobrex, TobraDex), Gentamycin (Garamycin, Gentacidin) and Sulfonamides (Bleph-10) are used to treat bacterial conjunctivitis. The uses of newer medications such as Ciloxan, Ocuflox, Quixin, Vigamox and, fluoroquinolone for three times in day will cure the pink eye within one week. Pink eye caused by viral infection usually do not require any treatment. Allergic conjunctivitis can be treated with typical allergy medications, and topical drops, like Patanol and Alocril.

Whatever be the cause, you must keep lukewarm water to wash your children's face and lukewarm water to wipe the discharge from the eyes. You have to wash your hands after treating your child, as pink eye can be contagious at times. Do not hesitate to contact the doctor if you ever have a doubt about your child's precious senses.