Three-year-old child's eyes are red and bloodshot with some white spots

If a three-year-old child has red bloodshot eyes with some white spots, it is very likely that he has conjunctivitis. Conjunctivitis in children is a common disease, and the characteristics of this disease are very obvious. If parents are confused about their child's condition, they can first understand the symptoms of conjunctivitis and make a judgment based on the child's situation. If a child has eye abnormalities, he or she should be taken to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time and should not be delayed.

Conjunctivitis is a common ophthalmic disease, and conjunctivitis in children is also the first disease for which children visit the ophthalmologist. Since most of the conjunctiva is in direct contact with the outside world, it is easily stimulated by infectious and non-infectious factors in the environment, causing inflammatory reactions. The conjunctival tissue of children is extremely permeable, and the ocular surface barrier function is weaker than that of adults, making it more susceptible to external factors, leading to the occurrence of various types of conjunctivitis. The collective living environment and playful personality make children a high-risk group for conjunctivitis. Infectious conjunctivitis is more likely to be transmitted between children and family members, so parents need to pay more attention to it.

Clinical manifestations

Red eyes, foreign body sensation in the eyes, tearing, and increased secretions are common manifestations of all types of conjunctivitis in children and generally do not affect vision. In addition, different types of conjunctivitis have their own specific manifestations, which can help with diagnosis before the results of etiological examinations are available.

Viral conjunctivitis

Viral conjunctivitis in children is often accompanied by symptoms of respiratory tract infection such as cough and sore throat, as well as manifestations of viral infection such as swollen preauricular lymph nodes and generalized myalgia. One eye is often the first to become infected, and the other eye can be easily infected. The most common clinical disease is epidemic hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, commonly known as "pink eye". This disease is highly contagious and often breaks out in summer and autumn. The disease develops rapidly, with severe eye irritation symptoms and less secretions, and subconjunctival punctate or flake hemorrhages are the most common. Another common type of viral conjunctivitis in children is epidemic keratoconjunctivitis, which is highly contagious and has caused an epidemic around the world. The disease has severe symptoms, including eyelid edema, hyperemia of the conjunctiva, pseudomembrane formation, and specific lesions of the cornea. Viral conjunctivitis is self-limiting to a certain extent, and ophthalmic treatment can relieve symptoms, shorten the course of the disease, and reduce the pain of children.

Bacterial conjunctivitis

The ocular surface of a normal person is colonized with certain bacteria, but when encountering highly virulent bacteria or conditional pathogens, it will cause bacterial conjunctivitis. Bacterial conjunctivitis in children mainly includes acute catarrhal conjunctivitis and chronic catarrhal conjunctivitis, while gonococcal conjunctivitis mainly occurs in newborns. Acute catarrhal conjunctivitis is mainly caused by highly virulent bacteria. It has an acute onset and often affects both eyes. It can occur one after the other. The main eye symptoms are foreign body sensation in the eyes, tearing, and sticky or purulent secretions. This disease is transmitted through contact, with secretions being the direct source of infection. It is easily transmitted in school or at home. Parents must pay attention to the eye hygiene of their children. Chronic catarrhal conjunctivitis has a long course and is prone to recurrence. Its symptoms and signs are milder than those of acute catarrhal conjunctivitis. However, if children have repeated mild red eyes, increased secretions, and foreign body sensation, the cause should be carefully investigated to determine whether it is dacryocystitis, blepharitis, rhinitis, or other diseases. Gonorrheal conjunctivitis is more common in newborns. It is infected at birth through the birth canal of mothers with gonococcal vaginitis. It can also be infected through other contact routes. The main feature is a large amount of pus in the conjunctival sac. If not treated in time, it will infect the cornea and cause perforation in a short period of time.

Chlamydial conjunctivitis

It is an inflammation caused by infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, commonly known as "trachoma", which was once the leading cause of blindness in my country. However, with the improvement of living standards, improvement of environmental sanitation and progress in science and technology, "trachoma" has almost disappeared in most large and medium-sized cities. However, trachoma is still prevalent in some countries and regions with relatively backward economy and culture and poor sanitary conditions. Trachoma is mainly transmitted through contact, and the prevalence of trachoma in children is closely related to the prevalence of trachoma in their parents. It often develops acutely or subacutely, with symptoms such as red eyes, foreign body sensation, and sticky secretions. Ophthalmological examination shows lesions in the fornix conjunctiva and corneal pannus formation. If not treated in time, some serious complications will occur in the late stage, causing damage to multiple eye tissues.

Chemical conjunctivitis

Children are active by nature and full of curiosity about unknown things. They often accidentally get some acidic and alkaline chemicals into their eyes, causing damaging conjunctivitis. More serious injuries can cause damage to the cornea and seriously affect visual function. This type of conjunctivitis has a clear history of contact with eye chemicals and has an acute onset, requiring prompt medical treatment to reduce damage. Therefore, children should be educated to improve their safety awareness at school or at home.

Allergic conjunctivitis in children

It is a common type of non-infectious conjunctivitis in children. With changes in the environment, the incidence of allergic conjunctivitis in children is gradually increasing. It is often seasonal and recurring. The clinical manifestations include varying degrees of eye itching, foreign body sensation, dryness, etc., which generally rarely affect vision. Some children may have symptoms such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, and allergic dermatitis. If children repeatedly rub their eyes, they may develop infectious conjunctivitis.