Crusty eyes!

[lorraineliyanage]

My toddler has had really crusty eyes since Saturday, her eyes aren't red, but are glued together with yellow 'sleepy' crust! I have a doctor's appointment for her tomorrow, but is it worth trying breastmilk in her eye, not sure whether that's just for babies? I did a bit of googling and found something about camomile tea on a cotton wool ball, and my dad recommended salt water but I have no idea what's best. Thanks!

[Belle]

We had this recently when my son had a cold - saw the doc who said it was an eye infection and prescribed drops but after the first go we didn't stand a chance of getting them in! It cleared up on his own, though we cleaned with sterile water a couple of times. Someone on here recommended castor oil for eye infections so will try that next time.

[mumra]

Just returned from the doctors this morning with my 18 month who has exactly the same thing, and we awoke this morning unable to open either eye, poor thing! She's actually had crusty eyes/conjunctivitus 2 or 3 times and the only thing that has cleared it up has been Chloramphenicol. You can buy the drops at chemists (although you have to say your child is 2+) or you can get the ointment to smear on the lower lid on prescription from the doctors. It is easier than you think to do that - do it when they are asleep and will go off agian was the advice I was given by the docs, and that has always worked for me. In the meantime to wipe it off, cool boiled water and cotton wool pads - 1 wipe and bin is the recommendation.

[lorraineliyanage]

She screamed like I was trying to murder her when I tried to use a baby wipe to clear the crust this morning.

It's so thickly crusted into her eyelashes that wiping it off with boiled water still leaves massive clumps of it in her lashes but at least means she can open her eyes properly!

mumra - is the ointment easier to use than the drops? I think I'll definitely have to try this while she is asleep.

[gwod]

You can also buy eye drops called brolene over the counter (they are not antibiotic) which are very effective. GPs often like you to try this first as its good to avoid the Chloramphenicol until after they are 2 if you can help it. Really worth getting some in advance of the appt if you can. Also when bathing with cooled boiled salt watet - dont cool it completely as the warmer water breaks up the crusty bits a bit better.

Hope shes well soon

[mumra]

Ointment much easier, as can pull lower lid down when asleep/drowsy. Drops are a nightmare and they scream their heads off when they do actually go in. Good luck!

[lorraineliyanage]

Thanks for the advice. Didn't have a chance to get out to get the Brolene today and am about to start work. Ointment sounds like a good tip, I was thinking I'd have to put the eye drops in when she was asleep anyway but ointment should be less likely to wake her up.

[Steph]

Looks like its doing the rounds, my toddler had it a few weeks ago at the back end of a cold. I used boiled water to wipe it all off then the ointment, Chloramphenicol which is easy to apply. Went after about a week.

Make sure you get your wee one to wash her hands regularly as its really infectious.

[redjam]

My kids seem to get this quite frequently - it's a pain as so infectious. I normally just nip down to the chemist and get the over-the-counter drops at the first sign of it (I think it's called Optrex Infectious Eyes). It's about a fiver and you have to remember to keep it in the fridge. I find the drops easier than the prescription paste as I could never get the paste to stay in the eye - it would always just fall out onto the cheek - plus it's a pain to have to go to the docs every time they get it. I guess experiment with whatever you find easiest. But administering the drops is a bit of a grim two-man job with my two-year-old - one person basically has to pin her arms and legs down while the other pulls her eyes open. Not much fun for anyone concerned, but it does seem to work - her eyes started gumming up on Wednesday night last week, I started the drops on Thursday, and it had gone by Friday (I'm still doing the drops now though to keep it at bay). Luckily my five-year-old now submits willingly - last time she had it, I even had to pop into her school to give her some drops one lunchtime and she cheerfully lay down for me in the middle of the school dinner hall floor while all her little mates watched!

[nunheadmum]

If it's at the end of a bad cold and the eyes aren't red, it could just be the virus working it's way out - the noses and eyes are so close then they're that small. That's what our GP always tells us and sure as fate, a few days of bathing with warmish water and it passes. We've had the drops once and they were impossible so I'm more than happy to avoid them if we can.

Is Brolene meant for conjunctivitis or does it just soothe? The little ones do look a sad sight when their eyes are all stuck together so knowing things that help is always useful.

[gwod]

It is a non prescription antibacterial and antifungal. Here it is.

http://www.expresschemist.co.uk/brolene-eye-drops-10ml.html

From memory I think that it is not recommended for kids under 24 months.

[nicolemodesti]

Definitely must be something going around and on the tail end of colds! My 18 month old had it when we were away on holidays in Gran Canaria. Started at the airport!! It seemed to be yellowish in colour and pooled in the inside corner of his eyes. We bathed it with warm salt water (preboiled and cooled down) 3 times a day using cotton wool. Fortunately it wasn't crusty upon waking.

[lorraineliyanage]

Yep this is all yellow and crusty and stickier on the inside of the eyes, the doctor prescribed fusilic acid which is more ointmenty than the drops, I managed to get some in her eye when she was in her pram and stirring from a nap. The first sign of me trying to fiddle with her face and she was wide awake, so I had to do it super fast!

[TE44]

My mum has just came back from visiting family, my cousins little boy has had eye drops then a course of antibiotics

but still the infection came back. My mum took castor oil up to her, before going to bed she poured a little on cotton wool

and wiped over the eye and again for the other one. There was an obvious difference in the morning, within a couple of days it was clear, and has stayed clear. She always used this and I cant think of a time it didn't work.

[lorraineliyanage]

i'll give the eye drops a couple of days, it looks like it's subsiding a bit but castor oil sounds worth a try, thanks