A child has watery eyes with runny nose, fever: causes and treatment

Children are our joy and the meaning of life. It is clear that each parent wants to see their baby healthy and happy. But a child is a child. He is active, sociable and, due to an imperfect immune system, is especially susceptible to dangers lurking at every step, such as infectious and viral diseases, injuries. If a mother or father sees that the baby's eyes are "weeping", they first think that their child has fallen, hit himself or someone has offended him, and are very surprised not to find any visible reasons for tears. But tears do not always flow only from pain and resentment. A child's eyes can water for another reason. And parents should know in which cases children's tears require not only attention and care from them, but also a visit to one or even several medical specialists.

What are tears?

When we experience severe pain, great joy or sincere emotion, we notice how, seemingly without our participation, droplets of tears begin to appear in our eyes, although it is practically impossible to simply “squeeze” them out. This is so familiar and everyday that few people think about what tears are and why in some cases they are released in larger quantities than usual.

Tears are a physiological fluid that has a certain chemical composition and carries information about a person's health (just like blood). The main component of tears is considered to be water, it is about 98-99% in the tear fluid. But many have noticed a salty taste in tears, although ordinary water has no taste. How does this happen?

The thing is that the remaining 1-2% of the tear composition includes chemical elements (primarily sodium in the form of chlorides and carbonates, magnesium, calcium oxide, potassium), multiple types of proteins, carbohydrates, enzymes, which give the tears, transparent at first glance, a salty taste. The qualitative and quantitative composition of tears, depending on the person's condition, undergoes constant changes, by which one can judge whether everything is in order in the body.

Those who believe that tears are produced by the lacrimal glands only at the moment of pain or joy are very wrong. Lacrimal fluid is produced in the human body constantly. It is thanks to them that the visual organ is constantly moistened (and therefore relieves its tension), they supply nutrients to the cornea of the eye and protect the eye from various bacterial factors.

The latter function is available to tears due to the presence in their composition of a special enzyme called lysozyme, which destroys the protective walls of bacterial cells. Tears also help remove foreign bodies from the eye that have entered the organ from the outside.

Usually, a small amount of tear fluid (up to 1 ml) is produced per day, which, after performing its functions, descends into the lower nasal passages through the lacrimal ducts (the lacrimal lake, lacrimal canals, lacrimal sac and lacrimal-nasal ducts). And we do not even notice that such a complex process is taking place in the body.

The secretion of tears in the lacrimal glands is greatly influenced by the psycho-emotional state of a person, so we cry when we experience pain or joy. The protective mechanism with increased secretion of tear fluid also works under the influence of negative factors on the eye or nasal passages that cause irritation (strong odors, allergens, wind, cold, foreign bodies).

But lacrimation can also be one of the symptoms of various diseases. The pathogenesis of such a pathology of newborns as dacryostenosis is based on a congenital anomaly of the lacrimal ducts, in which they remain pathologically narrow. But with dacryocystitis (a possible complication of the previous pathology), we are talking about stretching of the lacrimal sac with its subsequent inflammation. Both pathologies manifest themselves in the form of increased lacrimation.

Epidemiology

According to statistics, about 2-6% of newborns suffer from congenital narrowing of the lacrimal ducts and other obstructions of the nasolacrimal canal. Most often, these are premature babies with underdevelopment of various body systems (the formation of the nasolacrimal canal ends by the 8th month of pregnancy) or children with certain developmental pathologies (for example, with Down's syndrome, lacrimation is observed in 20-35% of cases).

True, doctors claim that in most newborns with impaired patency of the lacrimal ducts, the pathology does not require medical intervention. During the first year of life, the lacrimal system returns to normal and the child's eye no longer waters. But there are still about 10% of children whose lacrimation can only be cured by surgery.

But again, lacrimation in childhood does not always indicate a congenital pathology. There are other diseases, the symptom of which is excessive secretion of tear fluid, which is not associated with a reflex (physiological process of moisturizing and cleansing the eyes) or emotional factor.

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Causes teary eyes in a baby

Caring and loving parents cannot calmly look at their baby's tears and not find out why the child's eye is watering, whether it is related to his psycho-emotional state or is a symptom of a certain disease, which is most often indicated by additional symptoms (discharge of pus, sneezing, coughing, fever, etc.).

A simple conversation with the child about the events that preceded the tears will help you understand what exactly caused the child to start crying. If, for example, it was a scraped knee, a bruised finger, or offensive actions by peers or adults, there is nothing to worry about. The tears will go away as soon as the pain subsides and the resentment goes away.

Tears in a child, as in an adult, can also appear under the influence of irritating factors. The sharp smell of onions, which simply cannot help but cause tears, the pungent smells of paint and other chemicals, be it cosmetics, dishwashing detergent or car fuel irritate the mucous membrane of the nose and eyes, which causes a response in the form of tears. This condition also passes quickly enough and does not require treatment.

The fact that a child's eyes are watery outside in cold and windy weather (especially when leaving a warm room) should not particularly worry parents. Tearing in this case is a physiologically conditioned reaction to the impact of irritants (spasm and swelling of the lacrimal ducts with a sharp change in temperature), which are wind and cold. This phenomenon can be either isolated or constant.

The fact that a child's eyes water in the wind is rarely associated with pathologies of the anatomical structure of the eyes and nose. But if a child has only one eye that waters heavily, this may well indicate some anatomical pathology (for example, a deviated nasal septum, a small lumen of the lacrimal canals, stenosis of the lacrimal ducts). Lacrimation is observed from the eye located in the affected area, where the lacrimal ducts do not cope with their duties and the tear comes out.

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Risk factors

Risk factors for the appearance of lacrimation not associated with congenital or acquired health pathologies may also include:

• Getting a foreign body or microparticles with an irritating effect into the eye (dust particles, lint from clothing, hair elements, grains of salt or other chemical substances).
• The effect of very bright light on the eye, as one of the non-physical irritants.
• Trauma to the eye, nose, or trigeminal nerve branching area.
• Foreign objects entering the nose and their irritating effect.
• Being in an area exposed to smoke, corrosive vapors or gases.
• Use of hot spices.
• The eruption of "eye" teeth in small children. We are talking about teeth on the upper jaw, the eruption of which can be accompanied not only by pain, itching and increased salivation, but also by lacrimation.

The only injuries on this list that may require medical intervention are facial and body trauma, as well as thermal or chemical burns of the mucous membrane of the eye or nose. Sometimes, medical help is required if you are unable to remove a foreign body from your eye on your own.

But sometimes a child's eye waters due to a more serious reason, which is various health pathologies that require appropriate treatment. In this case, the lacrimation stops only if the treatment of the underlying disease is effective. It goes away along with the other symptoms.

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Symptoms teary eyes in a baby

Lacrimation itself is extremely rare in medical pediatric practice. This symptom usually occurs in combination with the main symptoms of the existing disease.

Most often, salivation is accompanied by a runny nose and sneezing, which are not always, although often, signs of respiratory diseases. A runny nose can appear as a result of increased secretion of the lacrimal glands when a child cries from pain, resentment or exposure to strong irritants on the mucous membrane. It is also observed together with the secretion of tears during the eruption of baby teeth.

Sometimes a child's eyes water and a runny nose appear when the baby is exposed to hypothermia. These same symptoms can be a consequence of overheating of the body when in a room with a high temperature or excessive wrapping of the child.

If a child's eyes are watery and he sneezes, this does not mean that he is sick. The cause may be an unsuitable microclimate in the room where the baby is. Risk factors for the appearance of watery eyes, runny nose and sneezing may be dust and strong odors in the room, too low or high room temperature, as well as low or high air humidity. These same factors can provoke the appearance of "causeless" tears in a child on the street.

The imperfection of the child's immune system leads to the fact that many children (especially premature babies) suffer from allergies, the symptoms of which are a runny nose, sneezing, increased secretion of tear fluid. Moreover, various substances can act as allergens: various microorganisms, parasites, insect secretions, flower pollen, chemicals, medications, food products. Often, children and adults have an allergy to dust, especially paper dust.

In these cases, the allergic nature of lacrimation will be indicated by the appearance of tears only under the influence of certain factors and itching in the eye area, as a result of which the baby constantly rubs his eyes with his fist.

If a child's eyes water after vaccination (DPT vaccination is especially indicative in this regard), and a runny nose also appears, this can also be attributed to manifestations of an allergy, indicating a weakened immune system.

Vaccination is the introduction of a small fragment of a viral infection into the body, foreign to it. Therefore, it is natural that all the body's forces are directed to fight the infection.

If the child is healthy and has good immunity, the vaccination will take place without complications in the form of watery eyes, runny nose, cough, fever, etc. But if the immunity is weakened by an infection in the body, which may not have manifested itself yet, it is quite possible that the vaccine can provoke the development of the disease with the appearance of corresponding symptoms, both allergic and cold-like.

If a child has a fever and watery eyes, and these symptoms are not related to vaccination, then there is a high probability that they are caused by a viral infection. ARVI is a fairly common diagnosis in childhood, when the immune system is not yet able to cope with the dominance of viruses, especially in the autumn and winter. Symptoms of a respiratory viral infection include sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, fever, and sometimes watery eyes, which pass with effective treatment.

Sometimes parents see that their child has a cough and watery eyes, and attribute everything to dust in the air or manifestations of allergies. This is quite possible, but we must not forget that these same symptoms can indicate an inflammatory reaction in the nose, caused not only by the influence of allergens, but also by the negative impact of bacterial, viral and even fungal infections.

We are talking about various types of sinusitis (inflammation of the paranasal sinuses), the symptoms of which are familiar to many. These are cough, nasal congestion, watery eyes, headaches, fever, sneezing and other unpleasant symptoms. Note that allergic rhinitis may have all the same symptoms, but without fever.

It would seem, what does inflammation of the mucous membrane from the nose to the eyes have to do with it? The fact is that inflammation of the mucous membrane can lead to swelling in the area of the nasal septum, which now prevents the discharge of sputum (snot). Snot, accumulating in large quantities, in turn squeezes the tear duct, as a result of which tears do not enter the nasal passages, but pour out.

The appearance of a strong cough, for example, with bronchitis, can also cause lacrimation. In this case, tears appear during coughing and are caused by severe discomfort and even pain when coughing. Outside of coughing fits, tears do not appear.

When a child's eye is swollen and watery, there can be a great many reasons for this. Even the most incredible ones. For example, lice, which can settle not only on the head, but also at the roots of the baby's eyelashes. Or banal overheating in the sun.

Crying for a long time can contribute to eye swelling. The eye can also swell from an insect bite, i.e. an allergic reaction to the bite.

In older children, swelling of the mucous membrane may be associated with postoperative complications or improper selection of contact lenses. Eye swelling may also be caused by some pathologies, which will be described below.

If a child's eyes water from light, parents should take this moment seriously, because this symptom can be the first sign of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye, which becomes more sensitive to irritants, including light. The cause of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eye, which according to medical terminology is called conjunctivitis, can be both an allergic reaction and an infectious factor (viruses or bacteria). Bacteria can be brought into the eye through dirty hands, and children often rub their eyes, not monitoring the cleanliness of their fingers, palms and fists. The reproduction of viruses on the mucous membrane of the eye is facilitated by a weakened immune system in a child.

If parents see that their child's eye is red and watery, perhaps the baby has simply rubbed the eye, and everything will go away after a little while. If the redness does not go away, and other unpleasant symptoms join it, for example, pain and swelling of the eyelid, most likely the baby is developing conjunctivitis. Although the same symptoms can accompany other inflammatory pathologies, such as inflammation of the sebaceous glands (blepharitis), manifested in the form of barley or chalazion (chronic or "frozen" barley), inflammation of the lacrimal glands (dacryoadenitis), etc.

Lacrimation and pain in the eye are also characteristic of the early stages of acute dacryocystitis with the release of pus (phlegmon of the lacrimal sac).

If the whites of the child's eyes are red, the mucous membrane is swollen, tears are flowing, but there is no pain, most likely these symptoms are associated with an allergic reaction. But the appearance of pain is a sign of inflammatory processes in the eye area or irritation of the trigeminal nerve.

But pain can also accompany other eye pathologies. For example, glaucoma, which, by the way, affects not only adults. In this case, the child's eye hurts and waters, headaches, nausea, and vomiting appear.

If a child or an adult has a watery and purulent eye, then we are most likely dealing with conjunctivitis. Although, again, the discharge of pus from the eye may be associated with pathologies of the lacrimal ducts and congestion in the eye, which is often observed in the neonatal period and in early childhood.

Special attention should be paid to parents who have noticed that their child's eyes are watering while watching TV. If this is an isolated case, then most likely the watery eyes are associated with eye strain and eye fatigue caused by looking at bright flashing pictures on the screen.

If the symptom is repeated every time you watch TV, especially when your child spends only a short time in front of the TV or computer, you should not postpone a visit to an ophthalmologist. There are many reasons for watery eyes when watching TV. And it is important to identify the one that caused such symptoms.

For general information, let us say that lacrimation during and after watching TV programs, as well as with any eye strain in children, can be caused by:

• refractive errors (astigmatism),
• the presence of foreign bodies in the conjunctiva of the eye,
• various changes in the mucous membrane, including inflammatory processes,
• obstruction of the nasolacrimal ducts,
• swelling of the nasal mucosa in rhinitis,
• metabolic disorders in which crystals are deposited on the cornea, unusual inclusions appear, etc.,
• hereditary corneal dystrophy and other congenital anomalies of the iris,
• allergies,
• abnormal growth of eyelashes (sometimes this occurs due to blepharitis),
• insufficient closure of the eyelids,
• glaucoma, accommodation disorders,
• involuntary eye movement (nystagmus),
• pathologies of the fundus, etc.

As we can see, you can't do without the help of a specialist. But sometimes a child's eye is watering due to a serious pathology that requires careful diagnosis and immediate treatment. By ignoring the child's watery eyes, parents condemn their child to big health problems in the future, because what can be easily and quickly cured at an early stage, when it becomes chronic, significantly complicates therapy, which becomes longer and not always successful. There is something to think about.

Tears in newborns

Parents need to know that infants are characterized by underdevelopment of some systems, including the lacrimal secretion and drainage systems. The lacrimal glands of newborns are not yet capable of secreting, so babies under 2 months cry without secreting tears.

If a newborn baby's eyes are watery, this should definitely alert the parents. Such a baby should be shown to a doctor, who will subsequently monitor the child's condition.

The discharge of a light yellow fluid from the eyes of an infant in the first months of life is a symptom of congenital obstruction (impaired patency) of the nasolacrimal canal. This pathology is manifested by lacrimation with serous-purulent discharge, and in some cases, the development of an inflammatory disease of the lacrimal sac (dacryocystitis) due to blockage or stenosis of the lacrimal canals.

Regarding stenosis (narrowing) of the nasolacrimal ducts, everything is clear. This is a congenital pathology, with which it is quite possible to live. In 90% of cases, the problem is resolved with age and does not require special treatment.

But the situation is different with blockage of the tear ducts. While the child is in the womb, some of its organs, including the eyes and nasopharynx, are protected by a special film that does not allow amniotic fluid to enter the fetus's body. The protective film ruptures in the first days after the birth of the child, and its eyes and nose begin to function normally. If the film does not rupture, congestion occurs in the eye, which manifests itself in the discharge of purulent fluid, redness and swelling of the eye, sticking of the eyelashes, and pain.

Because of such symptoms, parents often confuse dacryocystitis with conctivitis, and begin to treat the baby with the usual means in this case, which does not bring a positive effect. After all, the causes of pathologies are significantly different and require different treatment.

If a child under 1 year old has watery eyes, this is most likely not due to simple irritation, but to a certain pathology that can only be identified by a specialist doctor. But self-medication in this case can have quite dangerous consequences, which is unlikely to be what a mother or father would wish for their child.

Even if a baby's tearing is due to a simple scratch of the eye (and small children often reach for them with their hands, not yet realizing the danger), it cannot be treated irresponsibly. It is very easy to introduce a bacterial infection into the wound, which in turn will cause an inflammatory process with its characteristic unpleasant and even dangerous symptoms for the baby.

Complications and consequences

Tearing as such does not pose a danger to a child, except that it brings some discomfort. Another matter are pathologies in which a child's eye waters. If not treated properly, they can be very dangerous, causing various complications.

Take, for example, allergies, which many people treat very superficially. But the effect of an allergen on the body can cause not only mild (in the form of a rash, sneezing and runny nose), but also severe allergic reactions that are life-threatening for a child (anaphylactic shock, laryngeal edema, etc.). In addition, the consequences of allergies can be:

• development of bronchial asthma,
• hemolytic anemia, leading to anemia,
• chronic rhinitis, which often leads to sinusitis,
• inflammation of the middle ear (otitis), and as a consequence hearing loss, inflammation of the meninges and bones of the head,
• skin pathologies: dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, etc.

Untreated sinusitis has no less pleasant consequences. Inflammation inside the sinuses is fraught with the spread of infection to other organs, and since the nose is located on the head, in close proximity to the brain, it is the brain that suffers first. Complications of sinusitis can be meningitis, arachnoiditis or brain abscess.

Since the eyes are also involved in the process of sinusitis, the disease can result in the formation of phlegmon and abscesses of the periorbital fat, which negatively affects vision.

Osteomyelitis of the facial bones and thrombosis of the cavernous sinus, which easily leads to the development of septic disease, are considered very dangerous consequences of sinusitis.

ARI, which is very popular among children, if not treated correctly can also develop into meningoencephalitis, acute stenosis of the larynx, Gasser's disease with the development of renal failure, toxic encephalopathy with neurological disorders, infectious nerve damage (polyradiculoneuritis), obstruction of air passage in the bronchioles of the lung (obliterating bronchiolitis), myocarditis and other dangerous pathologies.

Specific complications of ARVI also include:

• bleeding of the skin and mucous membranes (hemorrhagic syndrome),
• convulsive syndrome at high temperature (febrile convulsions),
• acute hepatic encephalopathy (Reye's syndrome), which is life-threatening for the baby.

If, during the progression of a viral infection, a bacterial infection joins it, this is fraught with the development of such pathologies as otitis, rheumatic fever, bronchitis, pneumonia, purulent lymphadenitis, glomerulonephritis, meningitis, various types of sinusitis, etc.

Advanced glaucoma most often causes impairment of various visual functions in children, which leads to mental retardation, poor academic performance, etc.

Conjunctivitis, if not treated in a timely manner, can become chronic, cause otitis, dacryoadenitis, lead to cosmetic defects (change in the shape of the eyelids) and visual impairment. Moreover, complications after conjunctivitis are much more common in children than in adults.

Dacryocystitis is dangerous due to the development of complications such as hydrocele of the lacrimal sac or its strong stretching, resulting in the protrusion of soft tissues. If a bacterial infection also gets into the eye, then there is a high probability of developing purulent conjunctivitis. In addition, dacryocystitis can easily develop into phlegmon of the lacrimal sac, which leads to the formation of fistulas from which mucus and purulent fluid are constantly released.

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Diagnostics teary eyes in a baby

Many parents, seeing their baby's tear-stained face, start to panic and don't know what to do if the child's eye is watery. Panic is the last thing you should do in this case. You just need to watch the child. Perhaps the tearing will quickly pass, and a visit to the doctor will not be necessary. If this does not happen, you will still have to consult a doctor. In this situation, a pediatrician, ophthalmologist, ENT specialist will help.

Since lacrimation is a symptom of various, often unrelated diseases, it is not surprising that with similar symptoms, a doctor may prescribe completely different research methods.

The diagnosis of the condition in which a child has a watery eye or both eyes at once begins with an examination of the little patient by an ophthalmologist, studying the anamnesis and complaints of the child or his parents. The doctor carefully examines the child's eyes and eyelids, especially their costal margin, studies the location and condition of the lacrimal points. At the same time, he can press on the lacrimal sac to determine the patency of the lacrimal ducts, evert the upper eyelid and drip a fluorescent solution onto the conjunctiva to detect a foreign body.

If glaucoma is suspected, the doctor should first measure the intraocular pressure. In most pathologies, in which the child's eyes water after watching TV, an eye examination with a slit lamp provides sufficient information. Also, a refraction test is performed by instilling atropine into the eye and examining the fundus with an ophthalmoscope, and canalicular and nasal tests are performed.

Tests are prescribed to determine the presence of an inflammatory process, the type of infection, and to prescribe safe treatment. A general blood and urine test provide sufficient information about the patient's condition.

Sometimes a child needs a consultation not only with an ophthalmologist, but also with an ENT doctor with rhinoscopy. Sometimes an endoscopic examination of the nose with washing and probing of the lacrimal ducts is prescribed.

Of the instrumental diagnostic methods, the baby may be prescribed an X-ray of the lacrimal ducts and a CT scan of the head. The latter is prescribed mainly when there is a suspicion of dangerous complications affecting brain structures.

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis is mainly made between purulent conjunctivitis and dacryocystitis, especially in infants, as well as between bacterial and allergic rhinitis, which require different approaches to treatment.

Even a pediatrician can easily diagnose ARVI, but it is necessary to check whether the viral infection has developed into something more serious, for example, into one of the types of sinusitis.

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Treatment teary eyes in a baby

The doctor prescribes treatment only after finding out the reason why the child’s eye is watering, because different pathologies imply their own different approach to treatment.

Before seeing a specialist, it is not recommended to carry out any medical procedures other than washing the eyes. The answer to the question of what to wash a child's eyes with is clear - anti-inflammatory and antiseptic solutions (strong tea, chamomile or sage decoction, Furacilin solution) using individual wipes for each eye.

The doctor prescribes treatment depending on the underlying disease that caused the lacrimation.

If a child has a fever, runny nose and watery eyes, then the diagnosis will most likely sound like this - acute respiratory viral infection. For ARVI, antiviral (immunostimulating) drugs are considered mandatory: "Interferon", "Imudon", "Acyclovit", "Amiksin", as well as oxolinic ointment and echinacea tincture. In addition, symptomatic treatment of a runny nose, cough, irritation in the throat is carried out using children's drops, sprays, syrups. At elevated temperatures, antipyretic drugs are indicated: "Panadol", "Nurofen", "Ibuprofen", etc., which are prescribed taking into account the patient's age and contraindications for use.

If a pediatrician is treating ARVI, then sinusitis already requires consultation with an ENT specialist. The basis of its treatment is antibiotic therapy (Amoxicillin, Amoxiclav, Cefuroxime, etc.). In addition, children are prescribed corticosteroids to combat inflammation, drugs to thin mucus (Acetylcysteine, etc.), immunostimulants, and vitamins.

If necessary, the doctor prescribes appropriate and effective physiotherapy treatment.

If a child has one eye that is constantly watering, this indicates that there is a lesion of the lacrimal ducts on that side. Most often, parents encounter this situation with conjunctivitis (the process does not spread to the second eye due to improper treatment or the child himself brings the infection into the eye with his hands). In newborns, such a pathology is most likely associated with poor patency or blockage of the lacrimal ducts.

Treatment of conjunctivitis depends on its nature and severity. In case of bacterial nature of the disease, antimicrobial drops "Albucid" or "Tetracycline" are used, as well as tetracycline ointment. Conjunctivitis of viral etiology is treated with antiviral drops "Interferon", oxolinic ointment, "Terbofen", etc. Allergic conjunctivitis requires the use of antihistamines, produced in the form of eye drops ("Diazolin", "Allergodil", etc.).

If a child's eyes are watery due to an allergy, the use of antihistamines is again indicated.

As for the obstruction of the lacrimal ducts, if lacrimation occurs under the influence of various irritants (for example, a child's eyes water in the cold, in the wind, in frosty weather, from bright light) and passes after their effect ceases, there is no need to worry too much. Massage and rinsing the eye with an anti-inflammatory and soothing herbal infusion usually help to correct the situation (usually, doctors recommend chamomile infusion). However, such a child should be registered with an ophthalmologist and undergo regular examinations.

Treatment of eye injuries and removal of foreign bodies should also be performed by a specialist doctor.

Folk remedies

Despite the fact that folk recipes recommended for acute respiratory viral infections, sinusitis, allergies and conjunctivitis, when a child's eye is watery and other unpleasant symptoms appear, give good results, their use must be agreed upon with the attending physician. At the same time, in no case should you neglect the traditional treatment prescribed by the doctor.

There are many effective recipes for watery eyes, but we will only give a few of them.

For ARVI in children, rosehip infusion will be useful (6 tablespoons of fruit per 1 liter of boiling water, leave for 2 hours). Drink throughout the day.

To treat sinusitis, you can use aloe juice, which is dripped into the baby’s nose for 10 days, 4 drops in each nasal passage.

Strong tea and cucumber juice will be useful for conjunctivitis. They are used for washing eyes and compresses.

In case of allergies, the most effective method of therapy will be herbal treatment. First of all, these are chamomile and succession in the form of infusions and decoctions for internal use. Celery juice, nettle, St. John's wort will also be useful, which will help relieve allergy symptoms and eliminate lacrimation.

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Homeopathy

Treating children with relatively safe homeopathic remedies requires a special professional approach to selecting medications. However, there are many proven homeopathic anti-inflammatory and antiviral medications that can be purchased at any pharmacy and safely given to a child with a viral etiology of the disease.

If a child's eye is watering and the cause is an acute respiratory viral infection or viral conjunctivitis, then with the doctor's permission, you can give the child the following medications:

• "Aflubin", which has anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and immunomodulatory effects (from 1 to 10 drops of medicine depending on the child's age 3-8 times a day). The drug is diluted in a tablespoon of water and given half an hour before meals.
• "Anaferon" with antiviral action.
• "Influcid", which, among other things, also has an expectorant effect.
• "Traumeel S" is also used for viral infections, 1 tablet 3 times a day.
• "Engistol" is an immunomodulator, which is also dissolved in 1 tablet 3 times a day.

There are many other homeopathic remedies used for pathologies with lacrimation, but they are prescribed only by a specialist doctor.

Surgical treatment

There are many pathologies that cause a child's eye to water, but surgical treatment is not prescribed for all diseases. It can be prescribed for glaucoma, sinusitis, and dacryocystitis in young children.

A promising method of surgical treatment of sinusitis is drainage of the paranasal sinuses. Such an operation improves the discharge of mucus from the nose and facilitates the introduction of anti-inflammatory and enzymatic agents into the nose. Thanks to this, the swelling of the nasal tissues subsides and the discharge of tears in the nasal passages is normalized.

Surgical treatment of blockage of the lacrimal ducts in newborns is carried out after a year, during which the baby is observed by an otolaryngologist. There are several types of operations that are carried out for this pathology: probing, nasolacrimal intubation, balloon catheterization, dacryocystorhinostomy. Children over 10 years old undergo prosthetics - conjunctival dacryocystorhinostomy.

Prevention

It is simply impossible to prevent all diseases that cause a child to have watery eyes. But it is in the power of parents not to let the disease take over. Timely visits to a doctor and the appointment of effective treatment help to cope with the disease in a fairly short time and not let it ruin the baby's life.

Prevention of many diseases of the nose and eyes is considered to be the observance of basic hygiene rules. It is necessary to teach the child not to touch the eyes unnecessarily, and especially not with dirty hands. During the treatment of purulent pathologies, it is necessary to ensure that the child does not get his fingers into the eyes and does not rub them. This will help prevent the spread of infection to both eyes.

To prevent the disease from becoming chronic, you need to carefully monitor the child’s condition and, if strange symptoms appear (especially if they do not go away within 2 days), immediately contact a doctor for a diagnosis and the necessary treatment.

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Forecast

The prognosis of pathologies that cause a child's eye to water usually depends on the timeliness of seeking help and the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment. Congenital blockage of the tear ducts does not require special treatment in almost 90% of cases. The remaining children undergo the necessary operations (the success of surgical treatment ranges from 80-95%).

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