Child Conjunctivitis: How To Act?

A child’s conjunctivitis can be caused by bacteria, viruses, allergic reactions, or contact of a foreign substance with the eye. If you find that your child has eye problems, it is important to see a pediatrician as soon as possible.

Conjunctivitis in a child and an adult, or conjunctivitis, as the name implies, causes inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye. This transparent mucosa surrounds the eye and causes redness and itching of the eyes when inflamed. However, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) , it does not affect vision.

Contrary to numerous beliefs, conjunctivitis can be caused not only by a bacterial infection but also by many other causes. It can be caused by allergic reactions, trauma, contact lens wear and even insomnia.

In children, it is important to be especially careful when treating the disease. Some organizations even warn that conjunctivitis is one of the most common childhood diseases.

However, don’t worry, as we’ll tell you in this article how you should act.

Child conjunctivitis: what does it mean?

As we noted earlier, conjunctivitis refers to conjunctivitis of the eye. According to sources specializing in eye diseases, it usually affects both eyes at the same time. However, it can also affect only one eye.

Scientific studies show that conjunctivitis is the most common eye disease in children aged 1-9 years. Nearly 41% of pediatric visits related to eye problems are due to conjunctivitis, while 30% of the problems are due to an eye injury.

Inflammation of the conjunctiva in a child causes discomfort.

Conjunctivitis in a child is a common disease, but it is not just caused by bacteria.

Symptoms of conjunctivitis in children

Now that we have grounded a bit on the nature and prevalence of this disease in children, it is time to tell how a child’s conjunctivitis can be detected. We have received help from the Kidshealth Pediatric Association, which has listed the symptoms of this disease in children:

Redness of the eyes
Uncomfortable feeling in the eye (the child may say the eye feels sandy )
Eye leakage
Conjunctivitis and pain
In some children, the eyelid may also swell and direct light may cause discomfort in the eye

Causes of conjunctivitis in children

As already mentioned, conjunctivitis is not always due to infection. The National Eye Institute (NEI) has already identified a variety of causes that can trigger conjunctivitis.

We will tell you more about them below.

Bacterial conjunctivitis

Bacterial infection is undoubtedly the most common cause of conjunctivitis in children. It covers up to 78% of cases. In adults, however, the statistics are slightly different, with 36% of cases being caused by viruses and 40% by bacteria.

The microbes that cause this disease are usually the same ones that cause respiratory diseases or are present on the skin, such as Straphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenxa , and Moraxella catarrhalis.

Viral conjunctivitis

This is a much less common cause of conjunctivitis in children, as only 13% of cases are caused by viruses. Adenoviruses (ADVs) cause up to 50% of cases of conjunctivitis in children.

Conjunctivitis in children: other causes

However, not all cases are due to bacteria or viruses. Here are other possible reasons that we haven’t covered in more detail yet.

Allergies: Allergies cause up to 2% of conjunctivitis in children. They are typically seasonal and are usually associated with sinusitis.
Foreign substances: contact with foreign eyes or the use of contact lenses can also lead to this inflammation.
Fungal infections.
Infections caused by amoebas.
Contamination: this can be caused by internal or external contamination or a chemical substance.
Trauma, such as eye strokes and scratches.

Domiciliary care

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) , conjunctivitis caused by viruses and bacteria is extremely contagious. Therefore, special care should be taken with regard to this disease in the child. We recommend following the instructions below:

Wash your baby’s pillowcases, sheets, towels and other accessories more often than usual.
Do not use the personal equipment of an infected child.

Only a doctor can prescribe the use of eye drops to treat a child’s conjunctivitis.

Pediatric conjunctivitis: when to see a doctor?

As mentioned on the pages of the pediatric organization we mentioned above, there are serious eye diseases that have similar symptoms to conjunctivitis. Even if this disease is very mild, a visit to a pediatrician is essential if a child complains of eye problems.

Viral conjunctivitis often goes away on its own. So it heals in a few days without treatment. Bacterial conjunctivitis, in turn, requires a course of antibiotics in the form of drops or ointments.

Do not start self-medication for a child’s conjunctivitis

Playing a doctor at home is never a good idea. For example, there is no point in treating viral conjunctivitis with antibiotics. You may only make your child’s illness worse.

Thus, if a child suffers from an uncomfortable feeling in the eye, it is logical and responsible to see a pediatrician. Not all pain in the eyes is always due to conjunctivitis, so the correct diagnosis should be made quickly.