Conjunctivitis

A conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the eye conjunctiva which is on the inside of the eyelids and the flat eyeball. The conjunctivitis is the most frequent reason for a "red eye" and is part of the most frequent illnesses of the eye at all. There are many reasons for a conjunctivitis. The medical treatment goes by the respective trigger.

You distinguish at the illness depending on trigger in an infectious one (infectious) or in a non-infectious conjunctivitis.

The transmission of the germs of a disease (viruses and bacteria) is carried out via infected hands (graters of the eyes) or towels mostly which were used for drying an already infected person. Also plunge in swimming pools or the prolonged gestation at the birth process is infection springs.

The reasons for an infectious conjunctivitis are:

Bacteria:

  • Hemophilus influenza: The shoot appears in large numbers with children;
  • Staphylococci: Acute course and purulent secretion are characteristic;
  • Clamydien: they can already be transferred to the child at the birth;
  • Gonococci: The infection with this sexually transmissible shoot is relatively rare in this country. The spheroid bacteria can be transferred to the newborn child at the birth. Many obstetricians prophylactically drip a 1 per cent silver nitrate solution into the eye conjunctiva sac of the newborn child nowadays, too. This prophylactic measure is called a blennorrhoe or Crédé's eye prophylaxis.

Viruses:

  • Adenoviruses: There is usually a feverish general illness, too. An acute course, watery secretion and the high infectiosity are indicate.
  • Herpes viruses: Acute course and typical skin appearances are characteristic.
  • Veins: The conjunctivitis is a typical accompanying illness at this "classic childhood disease".
An infectious conjunctivitis cannot this one have the following causes -:

Allergies:

A striking feature of the illness is the pruritus. The conjunctivitis appears seasonally, usually, into combination with hay fevers. Are an acute course with watery secretion and conjunctiva tumescence characteristically.

The stimulus conjunctivitis becomes exogenous (external stimuli):

(a dry air, too strong UV light, foreign body, chemical substances for example preservative in eye drops > toxic allergic) triggered by smoke, wind, for example.

Anatomical:
There can be a delayed development of the laxative tear passages at infants.

The most frequent symptoms of the conjunctivitis appear as follows:
The eyes hurt and water, are crimson and photosensitive. Photosensitivity and stronger pains always indicate a participation of the cornea. Perhaps a mucous or purulent secretion is secreted. The eyelids can have stuck together after the night's rest in the next morning. The pruritus and the mucosa tumescence are in the foreground particularly at allergically conditional illnesses. Foreign body sensation frequently also appears.

If the photosensitivity, the pus discharge or the pains increase in the course, then this is a sign for the worsening of the disease. Seeing aggravations aren't an inflammation of the conjunctiva but around an illness of the cornea or the eye inside.

If the conjunctivitis hasn't improved within 48 hours, you go with your child to the physician.

The diagnosis is frequently made by the external symptoms. The differentiation between viral and bacterial infections is not going always simply to meet.

Your treating physician will take up the following measures:

  • If bacteria are the cause of the conjunctivitis, your physician becomes or-antibiotic eye drops anoint prescribe.
  • The causative medical treatment usually isn't possible at virally conditional conjunctivitis. Around the troubles to soothe guttas mucosa usually going down are ordered.
  • If a foreign body is the cause of the inflammation, the physician will remove him.
  • If her child suffers from an allergic binding skin inflammation, antiallergyc eye drops are prescribed. Substances triggering the allergy must found and -- if possible be avoided.

With the following measures at the nursing care of your child are important:

  • Wash your hands in front of and after every contact to your child. This applies to infectious conjunctivitises particularly.
  • You have an effect on your child, that it doesn't permanently rub itself at the eye. The infection perhaps still can lightly recovers will transfer eye on this.
  • You can wash out the eyes with a boiled, tepid water repeatedly minimumly. Pus and eschar can be removed so. Use one way handkerchieves for it which dispose of her after the use.
  • Your child remains the best in the room or at least in the shadow. The eyes should be protected by good sunglasses.
The conjunctivitis usually within one to two weeks heals. If troubles then still should be or adapt sign of an aggravation (stronger pains, greater photosensitivity), then they immediately go to an eye specialist.


These informations may be considered a substitute for a piece of medical advice in no case. The content of health-illness.com doesn't can and may be put into any case to make diagnoses or carry out self medical treatment independently.


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