As a parent, one of the most worrying issues your child could have is an eye infection.
An infected or damaged eye is something that worries an adult; as a child, though, it can be terrifying.
Even with the promise that the injury will clear up and vision will improve/return, some children arenāt to be convinced.
If that is the case, then we recommend that you look to help your children find a sense of calmness by helping them overcome the eye infection.
What, though, should you do when it comes to dealing with a childās eye infection?
Look for Redness
The most common sign of an eye injury or impact is to notice an eye that has gone red in comparison to its normal white color.
This is known to some as āpinkeye,ā and itās a sign that the eye has become inflamed.
Often this will be followed by complaints of pain and irritation, including itchiness.
The best thing that you can do at this point is to help your child to find ways to stop touching the infection and thus feeding the irritation.
Find the Cause
Sometimes, an eye infection can be caused by something at home.
You might need to get some medical testing carried out on things like the family pet in case itās an eye infection caused by an allergic reaction.
Speaking of reactions, keep a food diary and see what seems to exasperate the issue.
This can help you to spot the issue and then do something about it.
Another factor to look into is their eyewear; if they find their glasses are a cause or a potential cause, then switching to contact lenses might be a wise idea to help find some relief from the discomfort.
However, always consult an optician before doing so.
Also, platforms online like ContactLenses.com.au offer a really affordable contact lens called Aqua Crystal – https://www.contactlenses.com.au/contact-lenses/crystal-aqua-daily.
Tackle the Problem
If you find that your child is suffering from an eye infection due to something at home, you need to remove it.
Taking the risk of repeated and even chronic infection is not a good idea whatsoever.
We recommend that you look to tackle the problem by giving your child the help they need.
Even if it means moving on a beloved family pet, if itās the cause of the problem, then little can be done to solve the issue outside of removal.
Always be ready to tackle the issue once it has been diagnosed as the cause; getting your child back to having full sight should be essential.
Organize a Medical Visit
However, we would probably recommend that you look to get a medical appointment booked ASAP.
While it might be something caused at home that can be remedied, the discomfort and irritation are tough to deal with.
As such, itās highly recommended that you look to arrange a medical visit with a doctor.
They can likely prescribe some kind of antibiotic or treatment to help ease the swelling and irritation.
As ever, the quicker you can get a diagnosis of the issue, the sooner a solution can be sought.
Avoid Direct Contact
Itās recommended at this point that your child looks to avoid direct contact with anyone else at home.
Eye infections can become very contagious, and this can mean that other people in the family could be infected by initiating contact.
If you are applying eye drops for your child, then you should absolutely look to help them do so ā but do so while wearing disposable gloves to help minimize the risk of infection.
Afterward, wash your hands thoroughly and make sure that you are very careful about touching surfaces your child has.
Donāt Overreact
The worst thing that you can do as a parent, though, is overact.
The best thing to do is to take a calm approach; you want to help them get better, but over-reacting is sure to make them feel worried about the severity of the condition.
Even if you are panicking, you should always try and show a composed demeanor when talking to your child about the problem.
The more confidence they can show, the more likely they are to stop worrying about the condition and to follow the rules needed to overcome the infection in the future eventually.