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Home › Articles › General Health › Keep an Eye on the Eyes

Keep an Eye on the Eyes

Common Eye Problems in Babies and Toddlers

By Katherine Bontrager

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Allergies and Other Ailments

Don't be surprised if yet another cause for red, irritated eyes – allergies – causes you to pause and wonder if it's really something more serious. "The eye symptoms are sometimes difficult to differentiate from a viral conjunctivitis as the eyes may look pink, itch and tear," Dr. Collins says.

One way to help tell? "Allergies are usually seasonal in nature (spring and fall being the worst times), and often there's accompanying systemic symptoms with runny nose and other allergy-type symptoms," Dr. Collins says. "These often respond to oral medication for allergy, but there are prescription eye drops specifically to treat allergic conjunctivitis."

But red, irritated eyes could also be due to a scratch or an inflammation inside the eye, says Dr. Katherine Weise, director of Pediatric Optometry Services and associate professor of Optometry at the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Optometry. "That's why it's so important to visit an eye doctor when the eyes are red," she says.

Infants who seem to get frequent eye infections may have an underlying tear duct problem, Dr. Weise says. "The tear ducts are inside the eyelids and drain the tears from the eyes to the nose," she says. "Normally, they're fully open at birth or shortly thereafter. If the tear ducts remained closed, bacteria can get caught inside them and cause recurrent infections in the eye. The eyes may appear watery and tears may more often fall onto the cheeks, especially when the child is not crying. Infants who have frequent eye infections should visit an eye doctor to treat the infection. The eye doctor may also check to see if the tear ducts are open. If they're not open and remained closed for several months, the doctor may recommend procedures to open them."


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