How long does it take for a child's conjunctivitis to heal?

Conjunctivitis is a very common disease in daily life and is also common in children, which makes parents particularly worried because conjunctivitis can cause great damage to children's eyes. In fact, this disease can be recovered quickly as long as it is treated in time and the right treatment method is chosen. It is mainly divided into traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Patients can choose the appropriate treatment method according to their actual situation, which can help children recover health.

1. Clinical manifestations of conjunctivitis

The disease develops rapidly, with symptoms of tearing, foreign body and burning sensation. Check the eyelids and conjunctiva for edema, conjunctival congestion, purulent or mucous secretions, which often cause the upper and lower eyelashes to stick together, making it difficult to open the eyes when getting up in the morning. In severe cases of bacterial conjunctivitis, the eyelids are red and swollen, and the conjunctiva appears grayish white. It can be wiped off but easily regenerates, which is called a pseudomembrane. The secretions of viral conjunctivitis are mostly watery or sticky, with cold-like symptoms, small hemorrhages under the bulbar conjunctiva, and enlarged and tender lymph nodes in front of the ear on the same side. The secretions of allergic conjunctivitis are clear and thin, or mucoid or filamentous, with obvious itching, and obvious edema of the eyelids and conjunctiva. The cause of the allergy can often be found.

(II) Children’s conjunctivitis will heal faster if they find the right treatment

1. Traditional Chinese Medicine

1. Place 3 live leeches in 6 ml of honey. After 6 hours, take out the extract and store it in a bottle for later use. Apply in eyes once a day, 1 to 2 drops each time.

2. Wash 3 to 5 live earthworms, put them in a clean bowl, add 10 to 15 grams of sugar, and use them to drop the eyes after the earthworms are soaked in water. 2 to 3 drops each time, 3 to 5 times a day. For children, dilute with cold water.

3. 60 grams of fresh dandelion (39 grams of dried product), 50 grams of wild chrysanthemum (15 grams of fresh product), 60 grams of Euonymus japonicus (Rhizoma Coptis chinensis), 30 grams each of chrysanthemum, isatis root, viola yedoensis, and herbaceous prunella vulgaris, 15-20 grams of gardenia, 20-30 grams of phellodendron, and 15 grams of qinpi. Choose any 1 to 3 types, decoct them in water twice, mix them, filter them, fumigate them while they are hot and then wash your eyes, 3 to 4 times a day. Or the first decoction can be taken orally, the second decoction can be used for fumigation and washing, and then apply eye ointment after fumigation and washing.

4. Wind-heat in the liver meridian. Both eyes are extremely itchy, with a lot of sticky mucus, the conjunctival papillae are large, red and firm, the bulbar conjunctiva is yellow, the tongue is red with a thin yellow coating, and the pulse is floating and rapid. The treatment is suitable for dispelling wind, clearing heat and relieving itching. Prescription: Qufeng-Hao San with modifications: 3 grams of Chuanxiong, 6 grams each of Saposhnikovia divaricata and Notopterygium wilfordii, 9 grams of Schizonepeta tenuifolia, 12 grams of Dictamni, 10 grams each of Scutellaria baicalensis, Chrysanthemum and Equisetum arvense.

5. Qi stagnation and blood stasis. Both eyes are itchy, the bulbar conjunctiva is grayish yellow, the corneal margin of the palpebral fissure is embanked or accompanied by conjunctival congestion with tortoise shell-shaped nipples, the tongue is dark, the tongue coating is thin, and the pulse is stringy. The treatment is suitable for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. Prescription: Guishaohonghuasan with modifications: 3g safflower, 9g each of angelica, stir-fried gardenia, scutellaria, and red peony root, 12g of raw rehmannia, 6g each of saposhnikovia divaricata and angelica dahurica, and 10g of forsythia.

6. Blood deficiency causes wind. The patient has been ill for many years, with recurrent attacks, but the condition is relatively mild, accompanied by dizziness, sallow complexion, pale tongue, thin coating, and a thin and rapid pulse. Treatment should be aimed at nourishing blood and dispelling wind. The prescription is Danggui Yangrong Pills with modifications: 15 grams of raw Rehmannia root, 9 grams of stir-fried white peony root, 3 grams of Chuanxiong, 6 grams each of Angelica dahurica, Notopterygium wilfordii, and Saposhnikovia divaricata, 10 grams each of Tribulus terrestris, Angelica sinensis, Lycium barbarum, Chrysanthemum, and Polygonum multiflorum.

When treating this disease based on syndrome differentiation, it is appropriate to combine it with external treatment. For example, the residue of the medicine taken internally can be decocted again and used to fumigate the eyes after cooling, which will have a better effect in relieving symptoms.

2. Western Medicine

When the affected eye has a lot of secretions, the conjunctival sac can be rinsed with normal saline or 2% boric acid water. Depending on the cause, antibiotic eye drops or antiviral eye drops are used. Generally, you should use eye drops during the day, once every hour or even half an hour, 1 to 2 drops each time; apply eye ointment once before going to bed at night.

For bacterial conjunctivitis, commonly used eye drops include 0.25% chloramphenicol, 0.5% neomycin, 0.5% gentamicin, ofloxacin and sulfonamide. For viral conjunctivitis, you can apply 01% herpes net, 02% cytarabine, 4% morphine biguanide, etc.; at the same time, use appropriate amount of antibiotic eye drops to prevent mixed infection. For allergic conjunctivitis, you can use corticosteroid eye drops, such as cortisone, dexamethasone, etc., and appropriately use antibiotic eye drops to prevent infection; at the same time, take oral chlorpheniramine or cyproheptadine, etc.