3 Causes of Eye Pain in Babies and How to Overcome It - There are various causes of eye pain in babies, ranging from infections, allergies, to congenital abnormalities. Because the causes are so diverse, treatment steps also need to be adjusted to the underlying cause so that the eye pain experienced by the Little One can be quickly resolved.

Eye pain in babies often makes parents worried, especially if the baby continues to cry because he feels uncomfortable. Therefore, it is important for parents to recognize the causes of eye pain in babies and the appropriate steps to overcome them.

Causes of Eye Pain in Babies

Of the various types of eye diseases, there are at least three types of eye pain that are often experienced by babies. The following are some of the causes of eye pain in babies by type:

1. Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is one of the most common causes of pink eye in infants. This eye pain is usually triggered by bacterial infections and allergies. Newborns can immediately suffer from conjunctivitis due to contracting bacteria from genital fluids during the delivery process.

Conjunctivitis in newborns can also occur due to sexually transmitted infections in the mother that are not treated, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. Therefore, regular pregnancy check-ups are very important to prevent this. Apart from being marked by red eyes, this condition can also cause several other symptoms, such as fussiness due to pain, swollen, watery eyes, and eye discharge or discharge that appears continuously to make it difficult for the baby to open his eyes.

2. Clogged tear ducts

Blockage of the tear glands is one of the most common causes of eye pain in newborns. This type of eye pain in babies occurs because the ducts that channel tears into the nose are not fully developed. A common feature of babies with blocked tear ducts is watery eyes from one or both eyes and a thick discharge from the inner corner of the eye. If accompanied by infection, the eyelids will experience redness and swelling, especially in the inner corner of the eye.

3. Cross-eyed

Squint is a condition when the two eyes do not move in the same direction. This condition can occur due to disturbances in the muscles that move the eyeball. The exact cause of crossed eyes in infants is not known, but it is thought to be due to genetic factors, abnormalities in the brain, or premature birth.

This misalignment of the eyes can cause both eyes to be unable to focus on seeing the same object or double vision. If left untreated, squint can cause a number of complications such as amblyopia or lazy eye, and even decreased vision function. In addition to crossed eyes, there are also some congenital eye defects in newborns that can occur, such as congenital glaucoma, coloboma, and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

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How to Overcome Eye Pain in Babies

If your little one has eye pain, there are various ways to deal with it, ranging from self-medication at home to special treatment from a doctor. In the case of eye pain caused by conjunctivitis, you can ease the symptoms experienced by your little one by cleaning his eye discharge regularly so that it is not difficult for him to open his eyes and applying warm compresses using a soft cloth.

However, if the symptoms do not go away within 2 days, immediately take your little one to the doctor to be given the appropriate treatment. Doctors will usually give antibiotic eye drops or ointment to treat eye pain due to bacterial infection.

If the eye pain is due to a blocked tear duct, this condition will usually improve as the baby's tear duct develops. One treatment that you can do is to give a gentle massage, starting from the inner corner of the eye to the little one's nostrils.

However, you need to check your little one to an eye doctor if the complaint does not improve after 6 months of age or is accompanied by signs of infection, such as red, swollen, and green eye discharge.

Meanwhile, in the case of crossed eyes in infants, this needs to get an early examination from a doctor. Later, the doctor will conduct a series of examinations to confirm the diagnosis and provide treatment for squint according to the cause and severity.

Although there are types of eye pain in babies that can heal on their own, you should not ignore this condition. Therefore, don't hesitate to check your little one to the doctor if you find any complaints in his eyes so that the right treatment can be done.