Signs of blepharitis in children are often not obvious. Therefore, parents are often subjective, leading to prolonged treatment time and unwanted complications. So what causes and how to treat blepharitis in children?
Blepharitis in children is an inflammation of the oil glands of the eyelids. This condition causes scabs around the eyelashes and causes swelling of the eyelids. Besides, even after treatment and symptoms have disappeared, the disease still carries a high risk of recurrence. Understanding the cause and timely treatment is what parents need to care about to protect the baby's vision and health in the best way.
What is blepharitis in children?
Blepharitis is a condition in which the eyelashes, the areas around the eyelids affected by disease-causing factors, become inflamed. This can occur on the anterior outer edge of the eyelid (where the eyelashes are attached) or on the inner eyelid.
Blepharitis can occur in people of all ages. In some recent statistics, the number of children at risk of this disease is higher than that of the elderly.
Be careful with blepharitis in children
Common symptoms of blepharitis in children
Some common symptoms of blepharitis in children are as follows:
- A child's eyelids may be swollen, irritated, red, and scaly.
- When a child wakes up every morning, the eyelids often scab over.
- Eyelids may burn or itch and your baby may feel like something is in his eye when he blinks. In addition, children also have symptoms of a lot of tears.
Blepharitis can lead to other eye complications such as: Chalazion , stye, even keratitis ... Blepharitis can cause uncomfortable symptoms, inconvenience, affect activities of young children, however it usually does not cause vision problems.
Causes and risk factors for blepharitis in children?
Blepharitis in young children can occur due to the following causes:
- Infection caused by bacteria.
- Abnormalities in the secretion of oil-producing glands on the eyelids.
In some cases, young children may be more at risk of blepharitis if they have:
- Oily skin inflammation.
- Dry eyes (not enough tears).
Some methods to treat blepharitis in children
When your baby has been infected with blepharitis, what you need to do is take your baby to see a pediatric ophthalmologist with expertise to treat the disease thoroughly as well as prevent the disease from recurring and becoming ill. heavier. After examining the child's symptoms, the ophthalmologist will recommend the most appropriate treatment plan for each child.
A few notes parents need to remember during the treatment of blepharitis in young children such as:
- Should eye drops with antibiotics or physiological saline ... as prescribed by the doctor. Avoid letting your baby rub his or her eyes on their own.
- Every day, you should use clean and warm gauze to place on your baby's eyes for a few minutes. Mothers can wipe their baby's eyes by taking a few drops of baby shampoo mixed with water or using 0.9% sodium chloride solution to wipe the baby's eyes. Next, dry the baby's eye area with a clean towel and wipe it gently.
- Apply hot compress to the inflamed eye area for about 5-10 minutes and do it 2-4 times a day. After applying warm compresses to your baby, gently massage around the eyelids in a circular direction.
Timely eye examination for children when detecting symptoms of blepharitis in children
How to prevent blepharitis in children effectively
Some measures to help prevent blepharitis in children are as follows:
- Regular cleaning of the house and at the same time combined with food hygiene to avoid digestive diseases such as enteritis , constipation, ... also affect the cause of blepharitis.
- Rinse your eyes with clean water and use a clean towel to wash your face. If necessary, wear protective eyewear for the whole family, avoiding unwanted irritating factors such as dust, sun, wind, light or foreign objects, etc.
- In case, detecting that a young child has symptoms of blepharitis, it is advisable to take the child to see a doctor so that the doctor can have specific and timely treatment methods. In addition, to avoid unfortunate eye complications.
- Give your baby a bath with warm, clean water. Besides, it is recommended to use a clean and soft towel to wipe the baby's body, this helps the baby avoid bacteria that can enter the eyes and other parts.
- It is necessary to establish a diet full of nutrients and suitable rest to strengthen the baby's resistance.
Necessary nutrition for the baby when the right eye has blepharitis
Blepharitis in young children still has a very high risk of recurrence even after treatment. Therefore, you should strengthen children's disease prevention measures, help them have a good resistance to fight against all diseases.