Children have recently suffered from serious illnesses. Pathologies that cannot be prevented are especially frequent. Impaired visual function leads to serious illness. The article will tell you what eye diseases in children (photos and names are attached) are the most common.
Basically, newborns and preschoolers are at risk. Why? In infants, delays in proper development may occur. Some preschoolers are not able to prepare for the educational process. In older children, academic performance and self-esteem may decrease. They refuse to attend sports classes and choose a profession not to their liking. With the right diagnosis, many ailments are treatable. The name of eye diseases in infectious and viral children will be discussed below.
Causes
Eye diseases in children occur against the background of certain factors:
- Congenital diseases: the presence of a genetic predisposition for the development of eyes, infections that develop in the womb, lack of vitamins, negative environment.
- Factors affecting vision: fundus inflammation, allergic reactions to a specific irritant, infections on the lining of the eyes, burns or injuries, severe stress on the visual apparatus, dark lighting in the room, or regular computer activities.
To eliminate visual impairment, consultation with an experienced ophthalmologist is necessary. The specialist identifies the type of disease and prescribes a specific treatment. Eye diseases can lead to serious complications. The child is threatened with severe headaches, impaired visual function, pathological enlargement of the fundus. As a result, the child may lose vision.
It is worth highlighting halazion - a disease of the eyes in a child, which is characterized by the appearance of a benign growth. Its causes are obstruction of the duct and the presence of infectious diseases.
Symptoms
Children's eye diseases are characterized by certain symptoms. The appearance of itching, swelling, white discharge from the eye area indicates the initial manifestations of conjunctivitis. A similar disease is often found in newborns. There are varieties of conjunctivitis that differ from each other in certain symptoms. An allergic process forms against the background of external stimuli. Allergens in this case are dust, plants and chemicals.
Viral inflammation is characterized by redness of the eyeball, swelling, regular tearing. The virus provokes infections of various origins. Bacterial conjunctivitis occurs due to the ingestion of microbes on the tissue that covers the eye area. As a result, purulent discharge and redness are observed in children. In infants, white discharge on the eyelashes, redness of the eyes and swelling of the eyelids are found. Inflammation is caused by bacteria or various mechanical damage. Regular lacrimation, copious discharge may indicate inflammation of the sac of the inner eye.
Myopia
Specialists often experience myopia in childhood. Usually children are born with this pathology. Especially if loved ones suffer from this disease. As a result, the child acquires a similar disease. Symptoms occur at any time. Particularly often, diseases are detected during schooling. At this time, healthy children are prone to the appearance of false myopia. Lack of preventive measures and proper treatment can lead to the formation of serious pathology. If the child cannot detect objects at a long distance, then this indicates the appearance of childhood myopia.
Many children are not aware that they have vision problems. The main symptom is the squinting of the eyes with a close approach to a particular subject. Regular symptoms can only be seen in educational institutions. Children constantly complain of headache, discomfort and heaviness in the eyes, severe fatigue. It is especially difficult for them to focus on a certain subject.
Visual functions in childhood develop up to 8 years. It is during this period that it is important to detect violations of the visual apparatus. These include myopia and farsightedness. You should pick up certain points that can stop the development of the disease. Otherwise, such visual impairment will lead to loss of vision. Children in preschool age should be examined regularly by an ophthalmologist. During the examination, the specialist will record a decrease in vision, conduct a special study and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Strabismus
Strabismus is a congenital eye disease in children, a change in eye position. The visual axes diverge on a specific subject. In appearance, it is noticeable that the eye deviates incorrectly in a specific direction. Strabismus is a serious problem for many children. Immediately impaired visual perception of the child. Pathology is often observed in early childhood. The presence of the disease in infancy indicates a congenital pathology. The onset of the disease in preschool age speaks about the factors that led to the onset of the disease. In children, strabismus is formed up to 4 years. Violation of the visual axis is considered only as squint.
Often the disease develops against the background of farsightedness of the baby. During this period, he poorly recognizes objects that are near him. Violation of the retina leads to the appearance of this pathology. In children, the images are distorted, and the picture appears in a vague form. With strabismus, visual acuity decreases. Complications are caused by a violation of the visual system. The transmission of information to the brain that the disturbed eye remembers is blocked. Such a condition causes a mental abnormality, and strabismus increases.
Amblyopia
Amblyopia is a congenital eye disease in children, characterized by a violation of one eye. Basically, it develops against the background of a brain failure or a decrease in the vision of one eye. It manifests itself in chronic strabismus or in the presence of myopia, hyperopia. Instantly blocks visual perception in one eye. A similar disease affects about 6% of children. Treatment is always successful at the age of 6 years. At an older age, there is little chance of restoration of vision. To fully identify the disease, it is necessary to undergo a complete diagnosis.
Childhood eye infections
Blepharitis is a serious inflammation that affects the upper and lower eyelids. The reasons are the prolonged exposure to chemicals in the eye area. A simple form of the disease is redness of the eyelids, which do not violate the fundus. Inflammatory processes are accompanied by minimal edema. The eyelids at this moment begin to blink violently. Movements cause purulent discharge from the eyes. Scaly blepharitis is characterized by profuse puffiness and strong redness around the eyelids. Grayish scales appear on the eyelids, which are similar to dandruff. With the removal of neoplasms, the skin begins to bleed slightly. The patient experiences severe itching in the eyelids. Pain appears in the fundus and with blinking.
The ulcerative form of the disease is a serious ailment. The condition of children during this period worsens. The main sign is dried pus on the eyelashes. Crusts form that stick together eyelashes. It is impossible to delete them. When you touch the skin, pain is felt. After removing the crusts, minor ulcers remain. With proper treatment, healing is slow. Recovery is only partial. During this period, eyelashes cease active growth and fall out.
Inflammation of the optic canal
An optic nerve disease is a serious inflammatory process that occurs inside the optic canal. The main reason is the penetration of infections into the organs of vision caused by meningitis, sinusitis or chronic otitis media. In rare cases, inflammation develops on the basis of allergic reactions or chemical poisoning. The severity of patients is characterized by reasons that influenced the appearance of this pathology. Usually potent toxins affect the optic nerve instantly. The consequences in this situation are irreversible. Infectious processes develop over three days.
The main signs of the inflammatory process of the optic nerve is a decrease in vision for no particular reason. Disturbed perception of colors. When examining the optic canal, changes in the optic nerve, edema, blurred outlines, and swelling of the visual arteries are observed. With advanced inflammation, the disease progresses instantly. In the optic nerve, profuse swelling increases. After a while, there is a combination with all tissues. In rare cases, a slight retinal hemorrhage and opacification of the eyeball are diagnosed. In the presence of a mild form of inflammation, vision is completely restored. Regularly carry out procedures that increase immunity. Treatment is based on antibiotics.
Purulent infections
Viral eye diseases in children are caused by pathogenic microorganisms. They penetrate the fundus and multiply. In rare cases, the cause is eye injury. There are several types of this disease. Iridocyclitis occurs within 2 days after an eye injury. It is not possible to touch the eye due to severe pain. The iridescent part has a grayish tint, and the pupil acquires a gray color. Endophthalmitis is a severe form of the disease that occurs with serious inflammatory processes in the eye area. The pain syndrome is felt even in a calm state. Examination reveals dilated vessels, yellow color of the fundus.
A purulent complication has a special concept - panophthalmitis. It occurs only in rare cases. With proper antibiotic treatment, this disease can be prevented. To prevent loss of vision, you need to seek help from a specialist. The disease of this type extends to the entire fundus. A sharp pain appears, swelling of the eyelids occurs, the mucous membrane has profuse redness and noticeably swells. Pus accumulates throughout the mucous membrane. The skin around the eyes turns red. Painful sensations are intense. In severe cases of the disease, surgical intervention is necessary. With a positive operation, vision is not fully restored.
Diagnostics
A child’s eye disease is determined by the doctor only after a complete diagnosis. At the first examination, all information about the patient is collected. Conduct a comprehensive examination of the fundus using specialized equipment. To establish an accurate diagnosis, a comprehensive examination is necessary. Carefully check the intraocular pressure. Using a slit lamp, examine the cornea, iris, vitreous body and anterior chamber of the eye. Examine the corneal tissue using a microscope. The sensitivity of the retina to light is examined. The choroid of the eye is studied due to the intravenous administration of a special drug. The laser scans the state of the optic nerve disk.
Treatment
Treatment depends on what kind of eye diseases the child has. Medications are not recommended to be purchased on their own. Only a qualified doctor can prescribe them. The specialist selects funds taking into account important factors. It identifies the general symptoms of the patient, his age and the presence of diseases in the body. To the main drugs, medicines are additionally prescribed that prevent the violation of the intestinal microflora and preserve the natural mucous membrane of the stomach.
Many parents stop giving medication to the child after symptoms disappear in the eye area. Doing so is not recommended. Bacteria are not destroyed during this period. After taking the medicine, they subside for a certain time. You should drink the full course of antibiotics that the doctor prescribed. Many antibiotics cause allergic reactions. When using any drug, you need to monitor your well-being.
The human body is fragile and balanced. The slightest violations can lead to serious consequences. Treatment of eye diseases in children with antibiotics can negatively affect the internal organs of a person. Antibiotics have particular advantages in eliminating eye diseases. Drugs can be for internal and external use. Strong substances are contained in ointments, gels, lotions, creams. They remove purulent inflammations and infections of various origins in a few days. They have a serious effect on the body. Allows you to get rid of viral diseases and infections.
For the treatment of eye diseases in premature babies, special therapy is prescribed. It includes the treatment of skin on the outside and the use of antibacterial agents inside. "Doxycycline" is an antibiotic of the tetracycline group. Actively combats unwanted microorganisms. Tablets should be drunk after eating. Drink the medicine with a huge amount of water. You can take no more than 50 mg of the drug per day. The course of treatment is from 1.5 to 3 months.
"Penicillin" copes with various types of diseases. Available in the form of tablets, solution and dragees. The medicine has bactericidal actions, eliminates inflammatory processes, removes the resulting pus from the surface of the skin. The dosage is selected individually taking into account the general condition of the patient. The interval between taking the tablets should be 8 hours.
Ospamox is a popular antibiotic for treating eye diseases in newborns that fights infections and inflammations in the body. Apply it to eliminate inflammatory processes in the fundus. The drug treats infectious diseases of the mucous membrane of the skin. Basically, children tolerate it calmly and without complications. In some cases, it can cause allergic reactions, impaired intestinal microflora and sudden emotional irritation. It all depends on the individual intolerance of a particular component. All medicines should be taken according to the doctor’s prescription. Otherwise, irreversible reactions may occur.
Prevention
In order to prevent eye diseases in a child, the following activities are carried out:
- In order to preserve a child’s good eyesight, one should transplant him at different desks several times a year so that his eyes don’t get used to looking at the board from just one angle.
- The optimal time for playing on a PC or tablet, as well as watching TV without prejudice to the child’s visual apparatus, is an hour and a half a day, and for preschool children - 30 minutes.
- Parents also need to worry about their baby leading an active lifestyle and engaging in instructive sports.
- Be sure to include foods rich in vitamins needed for vision in the baby’s diet.