Conjunctivitis

The symptoms of conjunctivitis in the baby or child only extend to the eye. If other diseases are involved, there are other physical complaints. In the cases of a cold, in addition to conjunctivitis , these include fever , runny nose, cough, sore throat and swollen lymph nodes on the neck. With the childhood diseases measles and rubella, in addition to conjunctivitis, symptoms develop that are typical for the respective disease.

Symptoms are red and sticky eyes

Conjunctivitis causes a variety of symptoms that can show up in one or both eyes. You should think of conjunctivitis if you have any of the following eye problems:

• severely reddened eyes
• increased flow of tears, the eyes water continuously
• white-yellowish, purulent eye secretion in bacterial conjunctivitis (purulent conjunctivitis); it makes the eyes sticky, especially in the morning after waking up. If viruses are the cause of conjunctivitis, the secreted secretion looks rather watery
• Swelling of the conjunctiva, sometimes of the eyelids
• Itching and burning in the eye
• Foreign body sensation in the eye (e.g. grains of sand that rub with every blink of the eye)
• sometimes: pain in the eye, especially when moving your eyes.

Duration, course, incubation period

Consult your ophthalmologist at the beginning of conjunctivitis, i.e. at the first symptoms. He tracks down the cause and, if necessary, treats it adequately. Then there is a good chance that you will not suffer any serious consequences from the conjunctivitis.

The course and duration of conjunctivitis depend on the underlying trigger. If foreign objects such as sand, dust and dirt or dry air and UV radiation are the cause, the conjunctivitis usually subsides quickly once you have removed the trigger.

Uncomplicated bacterial conjunctivitis heals in around 60 percent of those affected within one to two weeks, even without treatment. Conjunctivitis in toddlers also only lasts a few days and then subsides.

If the conjunctivitis is adenoviruses, you should expect it to last two to four weeks. As long as viruses are still detectable in the eye secretion, you can infect others. Ophthalmologists give an infection time of at least two weeks for this conjunctivitis. You are not allowed to work because of the high risk of infection. Children also have to refrain from attending daycare, kindergarten or school.

Sometimes conjunctivitis becomes chronic. Then it lasts longer than four weeks. The consequences of conjunctivitis are very rarely more serious, namely when the cornea is affected. Eyesight can deteriorate permanently. Usually the conjunctivitis is harmless and heals without complications - neither the eyes nor the eyesight are subsequently impaired.

The type of treatment

Conjunctivitis therapy always depends on the cause. For example, ophthalmologists use different treatment strategies for infectious conjunctivitis than for conjunctivitis, in which no germs are involved. In the case of conjunctivitis, antibiotics can only do something if bacteria are the cause. Antibiotics are powerless in the fight against viruses, fungi and other pathogens. However, virus are much more often the cause of conjunctivitis. What helps against conjunctivitis? Here are the most important answers:

Antibiotics and drops against bacteria

If bacteria such as staphylococci, streptococci or pneumococci are the trigger, ophthalmologists treat the conjunctivitis with antibiotics. For example, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones or macrolides, which are on the market as eye drops or eye ointments, are effective. Patients with conjunctivitis instill the eye drops locally directly into the eye in order to fight the bacteria on the spot. Local antibiotics shorten the duration of conjunctivitis. Sometimes doctors use antibiotics as tablets that work throughout the body, for example in the fight against chlamydia or gonococci ( gonorrhea ). In this case, the sexual partner must also seek treatment.

Meanwhile, the German Ophthalmological Society advises caution when using antibiotics against conjunctivitis. Because the bacteria that cause conjunctivitis are becoming increasingly insensitive to antibiotics. The bacterial conjunctivitis heals in about 60 percent of cases even without treatment, according to the specialist society.

Doctors could wait three days to prescribe antibiotics and see if symptoms improve. Only then should you prescribe antibiotics. Half of the patients manage without antibiotics at all. One possibility is to relieve the symptoms of conjunctivitis with drops that contain tear substitute fluid.

Tip for contact lens wearers! Leave your shells off until the conjunctivitis has subsided. Clean the contact lenses thoroughly or take new contact lenses after the conjunctivitis and replace the container. Soft contact lenses in particular are prone to contamination and deposits.

Virus conjunctivitis: Treat symptoms

Adenoviruses often trigger the particularly contagious eye flu (keratoconjuncitivitis epidemica). Eye doctors try to relieve symptoms such as itching or burning in the eye. There is no special treatment that directly affects the virus.

Eye drops or eye ointments moisten dry eyes and ensure a sufficient film of liquid. On the other hand, ophthalmologists advise against using eye drops that contain active substances against bacteria (antibiotics) or viruses (antivirals). They usually do not protect against further infections and do not shorten the duration of the illness. Rather, they increase the risk of complications.

Treatment with home remedies

Not every conjunctivitis necessarily requires medication. It often heal on its own after a few days. Home remedies do not cure conjunctivitis either, but they have a supportive effect and alleviate the symptoms. The following home remedies may be worth trying for conjunctivitis:

• Cold or lukewarm compresses (e.g. with quark) on the eyes are a tried and tested home remedy for conjunctivitis. They cool and soothe the swelling. However, the effectiveness of these measures has not been sufficiently scientifically investigated. So it is unclear whether they are helpful, useless, or even harmful.
• Eyebright (Euphrasia) has long been used by patients as a home remedy for conjunctivitis. The herbal ingredients soothe eye irritation and inflammation. Ready-made eye drops with eyebright that are of a very high quality are available in pharmacies or online mail order stores. Otherwise, you can also prepare the eyebright as a tea. Eye rinses with the cooled extract are helpful. Alternative, you can dip a cloth in the tea and use it as a compress on the inflamed eyes. Eyebright is also available as globules against conjunctivitis.
• Other homeopathic remedies for conjunctivitis are Belladonna (deadly nightshade), Apis mellifica or Sulfur.
• Marigold (Calendula) has anti-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Brew a tea with marigold, let it cool and place moist compresses on the eyes.
   

Caution: You should definitely stay away from chamomile in conjunctivitis! Chamomile is irritating to the eyes and can cause allergic reactions.

Conjunctivitis: description and definition

Conjunctivitis affects the conjunctiva of the eye that attaches to the inside of the eyelids. At this point the conjunctiva rests on the eyeball and slides up and down with every blink of the eye. Their function can be compared to a windshield wiper. In the further course, the protective layer of mucous membrane forms a small fold that connects with the dermis. Both layers in turn border on the cornea. The conjunctiva is a kind of "hinge" between the eyeball and the eyelid.

In contrast to the cornea, numerous blood vessels run in the conjunctiva. If an inflammatory stimulus acts on the conjunctiva, it is supplied with more blood and the eye becomes red. In addition, when conjunctivitis occurs, the vessels release more proteins and immune cells (white blood cells). Medically, conjunctivitis is also called conjunctivitis (from tunica conjunctiva = conjunctiva). It is far the most common eye disease in children and adults.

Video: red eyes - conjunctivitis and other causes

Siegfried Priglinger , Medical Director of the Eye Clinic at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, explains in the video how conjunctivitis can occur, the causes of red eyes on the surface or inside of the eye and when you should see a doctor if you have red eyes .

swell

Bacterial conjunctivitis in children

The most common cause of conjunctivities is viruses, followed by bacteria. Fungi and other parasites are less to blame. The pathogens penetrate the conjunctiva and clog the protective layer in the eye. Conjunctivitis in children and young children is due to a bacterial infection in 50 to 75 percent of cases. They are considered to be the main cause of conjunctivitis in children. Bacterial conjunctivitis is very contagious and often affects both eyes. The pathogens spread quickly because children hold each other's eyes with dirty hands, for example when playing.

Other causes of conjunctivitis in young children include:

• Foreign bodies quickly get into the eyes of children and trigger conjunctivitis.
• Sometimes conjunctivitis in children is related to an allergy, such as hay fever (a hypersensitivity reaction to pollen). Doctors refer to this form as allergic conjunctivitis.
• In children, the tear ducts are still very narrow and clog up quickly - the tear fluid does not flow from the eyes into the nose. Tears that have built up are an Eldorado for bacteria
• In some children, the eyelashes are deformed and grow inward; then they irritate the conjunctiva.

Contagious conjunctivitis: viruses and bacteria as the main causes

The most common triggers of infectious conjunctivitis are:

• Viruses: Mostly adenoviruses are behind the viral conjunctivitis. If the cornea is also affected, the eye disease is called keratoconjunctivitis epidemica in technical jargon. The vernacular speaks in simplified terms of eye flu. This form of horn and conjunctivitis is extremely contagious and the adenoviruses are spreading rapidly. There are often real epidemics. Herpes viruses (herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus in chickenpox and shingles ), flu or measles viruses also cause conjunctivitis.
• Bacteria: The most common causes of bacterial conjunctivitis are staphylococci, streptococci or pneumococci in children and adults. But also Haemophilus influenzae, chlamydia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa or gonococci (gonorrhea) are possible triggers.
• Fungi: The yeast Candida albicans or Aspergillus can also cause conjunctivitis.
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