Fatigue and lack of sleep are familiar to everyone. The first sign that a person is not resting enough is swelling under the eyes. Normally, they disappear on their own after normalization. If the occurrence of edema is not associated with fatigue, you should think about a possible disease. This is especially true for children. After all, babies rarely do not get enough sleep and get tired, unlike adults. Swelling under the eyes in children is often caused by various pathologies. It can be heart, thyroid, or kidney disease. However, do not worry in advance, perhaps the so-called bags - this is only a feature of the baby's appearance or the result of insomnia, not associated with a pathological condition.
Varieties of edema under the eyes
To understand why the child has swelling under the eyes, you should consult a doctor. The doctor will prescribe the necessary examinations and find out the cause. There are several varieties of edema. Therefore, to determine the cause of their occurrence, a specialist examination is needed. Edema differs in location, density and color of the skin when pressed. The following types of "bags" under the eyes are distinguished:
- Physiological.
- Pathological.
- Inherited.
Edema is often associated with the accumulation of excess fluid under the skin. They arise as a result of drinking water at night. Also, fat "bags" under the eyes are referred to physiological edema. They appear from the proliferation of subcutaneous tissue. For physiological edema under the eyes in children, you can take a slight swelling and redness associated with lack of sleep.
Pathological "bags" are divided into mucous and protein. The first arise as a result of a malfunction of the thyroid gland. They have a soft consistency. Protein edema is associated with kidney disease. They are more pronounced in the morning, have a soft consistency.
Swelling under the eyes of a child: causes
With the appearance of edema in a child, one should not make hasty conclusions. It’s better to watch the baby for several days and determine at what time “bags” appear under the eyes and whether they are associated with fatigue. If swelling does not go away on its own, you should consult your pediatrician. The causes of physiological edema can be:
- Water retention in the body. The accumulation of excess fluid is not always the result of kidney problems. Water may linger in the child's body due to malnutrition. For example, by eating salty foods or liquids in the evening.
- Eye fatigue. Overvoltage occurs due to prolonged watching TV, reading or sitting at a computer. As a result, not only vision deteriorates, but swelling also appears.
- Chronic lack of sleep. Proper treatment is very important, especially for children. Therefore, you should give your child a good night's sleep at least 8 hours. Toddlers of preschool age are important and daytime sleep.
- The effect of sunlight on the skin of the face. Due to ultraviolet radiation, a protective reaction of the body is triggered, which provokes the accumulation of fluid.
In addition, swelling around the eyes is sometimes associated with the characteristics of the skin and fatty tissue. In the presence of small edema in parents that are not related to the disease, this feature can be inherited.
The appearance of pathological "bags" under the eyes
There are a large number of reasons why edema under the eyes of children can occur. If all harmful effects were excluded, it is necessary to pass tests. One common cause is kidney disease. In some cases, edema is the only manifestation of the ailment. Due to kidney disease, water can linger in the body for a long time. Most often, fluid accumulates under the skin of the lower eyelids.
Another group of pathological causes is endocrine disruption. Often, mucous edema is associated with a lack of thyroid hormones. The main reason is hypothyroidism. In addition to thyroid pathologies, edema can occur due to impaired regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary system of the brain.
Another dangerous group of causes is heart disease. In this case, the swelling has a dense texture and a bluish tint. The skin in the area of the "bags" is cold to the touch. In a child, severe edema under the eyes can be a sign of heart disease, which is formed in utero.
Other reasons include: liver pathology, metabolic disturbances and inflammatory diseases of the eyes and paranasal sinuses. In such cases, symptoms of intoxication are present, the child becomes restless, a runny nose or a violation of the outflow of tears is noted.
Edema in renal disease
Kidney disease is the main reason for the development of pathological edema. The pathogenesis of this syndrome is associated with damage to the glomerular system of the nephrons. The inflammatory process that develops in the tissues of the kidneys leads to their edema. As a result, vascular compression occurs. Due to the decrease in the volume of circulating blood, the juxtaglomerular apparatus of the kidneys is irritated. As a result, the secretion of renin and aldosterone is enhanced. The consequence of this is sodium retention in the body. In the blood, the level of antidiuretic hormone rises and osmoreceptors are irritated. As a result, the reabsorption of water by the renal tubules is enhanced and fluid accumulates in the subcutaneous tissue. Most often, edema in a child under the eyes in the morning is associated with this very reason. In such cases, you should pay attention to urination in the baby, compare the amount of drunk and excreted fluid. To identify chronic kidney disease, it is necessary to pass special urine samples.
Edema in heart pathologies
One of the causes of edema under the eyes in children is heart failure. Unfortunately, such pathologies develop during the laying of organs in the fetus and are not always diagnosed on time. Congenital diseases include heart defects. In some cases, a pathological condition develops as a result of viral and bacterial infections. Among them is myocarditis. Edema in heart disease has a complex pathogenesis. They appear due to impaired blood flow in the vessels of the kidneys, circulatory hypoxia and increased venous pressure. All these factors lead to the influx of plasma into the tissue. Cardiac edema is cold to the touch and has a bluish tint. Compared with the "bags" under the eyes arising from renal pathologies, they are denser in consistency. Such edema can appear not only on the face, but also on the legs. In addition, heart disease in children is accompanied by cyanosis and shortness of breath.
Severe edema under the eyes of a child up to a year
It is more difficult to understand the cause of edema in infants than in older children. After all, kids can’t say what exactly it hurts. Therefore, if there are "bags" under the eyes of a child up to a year, you should immediately consult a doctor. The reasons may be different. In rare cases, infants develop physiological edema under the eyes. Usually this is due to sleep disturbance, which occurs due to malnutrition, intestinal colic, teething, etc. Pathological edema under the eyes of a child is much more dangerous. After its appearance, the baby should be examined. The most common causes of this syndrome include hypothyroidism, heart defects, and kidney disease.
Edema in inflammatory processes
The causes of red edema under the eyes of a child include inflammatory diseases. Among them - sinusitis, rhinitis, conjunctivitis. All of these diseases are associated with colds. The inflammatory process leads to the fact that vascular permeability increases and fluid enters the surrounding subcutaneous tissue. In addition, swelling under the eyes can be caused by allergic reactions. Identifying such causes is not difficult. All inflammatory diseases are accompanied by fever, tearfulness, runny nose. With conjunctivitis, in addition to edema, an accumulation of mucus or pus on the mucous membrane of the eyelids is noted. "Bags" under the eyes pass on their own after eliminating the infection.
Diagnostic measures for edema
To eliminate swelling under the eyes, the cause of this symptom should be established. First of all, you should pay attention to the mode of the child. If possible, you need to exclude staying at the computer and normalize sleep. If after this the swelling has not disappeared, a complete examination is necessary. If there are soft "bags" under the eyes or redness in the morning, you should take a blood and urine test. If there are any deviations from the norm, perform an ultrasound of the kidneys. If the doctor suspects the presence of cardiac edema, special diagnosis is required. The child must undergo echocardiography to exclude malformations. With mucous edema, it is required to donate blood to the thyroid hormones and the pituitary gland. To “bags” under the eyes disappeared, first of all, etiological therapy is required, that is, the elimination of the cause of their appearance.
Treatment of edema in children
Treatment of edema depends on the provoking factor. In some cases, the use of antiviral drugs such as Anaferon or Viferon suppositories is sufficient. These medicines will help cope with a cold, and the redness under the eyes will disappear. With renal edema, hormone therapy is required, and diuretics are also prescribed. Pathogenetic therapy includes drugs that improve blood circulation, for example, the medicine “Dipyridamole”. Heart defects require surgical intervention. In case of hormonal deficiency, Eutirox and Iodomarin preparations are prescribed.
Prevention of edema under the eyes
To avoid swelling, you should visit a pediatrician in a timely manner. Children up to 1 year old must be taken for a preventive examination every month. This will help to diagnose the disorder in time and cure it. The correct regimen and rest for the eyes will help prevent physiological edema.