Category: Antenatal Classes Baby Massage Childcare Children's Activities Children's Party Entertainers Dance Days Out Drama Education Help Family Friendly Restaurants Family Photographer Health Holiday Activities Indoor Play Music Teachers Parent Coaching Pre School Sports County: BANES Bedfordshire Berkshire Bridgend County Bristol Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Cheshire Clackmannanshire Clwyd Conwy Cornwall Cumbria Derbyshire Devon Dorset Durham East Sussex Essex Fife Flintshire Gloucestershire Greater London Greater Manchester Gwynedd Hampshire Hertfordshire Inverness-Shire Isle Of Wight Kent Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire London Manchester Merseyside Mid-Glamorgan Middlesex Norfolk North Yorkshire Northamptonshire Northumberland Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Perthshire Powys Somerset South Lanarkshire South Yorkshire Staffordshire Suffolk Surrey Tyne and Wear W. Glamorgan Warwickshire West Midlands West Sussex West Yorkshire Wiltshire Worcestershire Wrexham County Borough

Conjunctivitis

The conjunctiva coats the white of the eyes and lines the inside of the eyelids. Conjunctivitis is the inflammation of the conjunctiva causing the following symptoms:

• Redness of the white of the eye
  
• Itchiness and irritation of the eye
  
• Bacterial conjunctivitis causes yellow sticky pus from the corner of the eye and on the eyelashes.
  
• Allergic conjunctivitis causes a clear discharge from the eye that is not sticky

There are 3 main causes of conjunctivitis:

• Virus infection
  
• Bacteria infection
  
• Allergic reactions

You should take your child to your GP to ensure the infection is not too serious and ensure there are no other problems.

Treatment of each type of conjunctivitis is different:

Virus Infection
This is contagious but will usually clear up without treatment within a week.

Bacteria Infection
This is also contagious and is generally treated with antibiotic ointment and eye drops, this infection should also clear up within one week.

Allergic Reactions
These are usually treated with anti-inflammatory eye drops and antihistamines.

To help your child to relieve some of the discomfort, bathe the eyes with water or water with a pinch of salt. Eye cleansing solution from your chemist may also help to relieve some of the soreness.

Please note that conjunctivitis is often very contagious. Always wash your hands after touching and treating your child's eyes.

NOTE:
The health section of Parenting.co.uk is not to be used as a substitute for your GP; if your child is ill then seek the advice of a qualified doctor or other health professional without delay.

What do you think?
Login or Register to add a comment or ask a question.

FURTHER PARENTING HELP

Parenting.co.uk offers a range of options tailored to your individual parenting needs. Help options include both telephone and email based support. Please note there are charges for these services. If you would like to find out more about how we can help you lead a more fulfilling life as a parent or overcome specific problems you are having email andy@parenting.co.uk with details of the areas you would like help, support and guidance.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING? TRY THE PARENTING.CO.UK DIRECTORY

The Parenting.co.uk Directory covers the entire range of parenting subjects from health to activities, shopping to education and sports to days out. You can also search your local area for everything from drama lessons to babysitters and sports clubs to baby photographers.

Check out the directory here: Parenting Directory

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS IN THE PARENTING.CO.UK DIRECTORY

If you are looking to reach thousands of parents and families to boost your business then advertising in our directory is a simple way for you to do it.

Join our directory here: Join the Directory