Yellow eye discharge in infants

Sticky eyes in babies and toddlers

Having yellow or white discharge in the eyes (known as 'sticky eyes') is common in newborns and small babies.

Sticky eyes are caused by narrow or blocked tear ducts. This often happens in newborn babies while their tear ducts are developing.

The tear ducts will usually open up themselves in the first few months of life. This means that your baby's eyes will usually get better on their own.

Tell your GP or public health nurse that your baby gets sticky eyes the next time you see them. They can show you how to massage your baby's tear duct to unblock it.

Non-urgent advice: Contact your GP if:

• the whites of your baby's eyes turn pink or red

This could be a sign of conjunctivitis.

Treatment

You may need to clean your baby's eyes if they've become crusted and your baby has trouble opening them.

1. Wash your hands.
2. Wet a sterile cotton ball with saline solution.
3. Gently wipe your baby's eye from the inside corner to the outside corner. Use a new cotton ball for each wipe.
4. Dry the eye using a different cotton ball, wiping from the inside corner out.
5. Wash your hands.

Important

Do not share your baby's towel with other adults and children in the house.

Your GP may give you a referral to see a specialist if your baby's eye is still sticky after 12 months.

Infection

Sometimes your baby's tear duct can become blocked and they can get an infection.

Emergency action required: Bring your baby to your nearest emergency department or call 112 or 999 if

your child has a sticky eye and they:

• are in severe pain
• are crying inconsolably
• are listless or hard to wake
• cannot open their eye because it is so swollen
• are pale, mottled and feel abnormally cold to touch
• have any pauses in their breathing lasting more than 10 seconds
• are grunting or have blue lips
• have a fit or a seizure
• have a rash that does not turn white or disappear when you press on it

Non-urgent advice: Take your baby to the GP if:

• their sticky eye is getting worse
• their eye looks red and sore
• they're rubbing their eyes a lot
• you think they're in pain
• they will not open their eyes
• you think they might have conjunctivitis

Page last reviewed: 2 February 2023
Next review due: 2 February 2026

This project has received funding from the Government of Ireland’s Sláintecare Integration Fund 2019 under Grant Agreement Number 123.

Eye - Pus or Discharge

Is this your child's symptom?

• Yellow or green discharge (pus) in the eye
• The eyelids are stuck (matted) together with pus after sleep
• After being wiped away, the pus comes back during the day
• Often caused by a bacterial eye infection

Causes of Eye with Pus

• Bacterial Conjunctivitis. This is a bacterial infection of the eye. The main symptom is eyelids stuck together with pus after sleep. Can be present in 1 or both eyes. A few viruses can cause pus in the eyes, but most don't.
• Viral Conjunctivitis. This is a viral infection of the eyes. Main symptom is pinkness of the white parts of the eyes. The eyes are also watery. Most often, there is no pus. Usually on both sides.
• Normal Discharge. A small amount of dried mucus only in the corner of the eye. It may not even be pus. A collection of mucus can be cream colored. Often due to an irritant that got in the eye from dirty hands. Needs no treatment except wiping it away with warm water.
• Blocked Tear Duct. Present in 10% of newborns. Main symptom is a constant watery eye. Tears fill the eye and run down the face. This happens even when not crying. The eye is not red and the eyelid is not swollen. The wet eye may get secondary infections. This will cause the eyelids to become matted with pus.
• Foreign Object in Eye (Serious). Small particles such as sand, dirt or sawdust can be blown into the eyes. The grit often gets stuck under the upper eyelid. If not removed, the eye reacts by producing pus. The main clue is an eye infection that does not respond to antibiotic eyedrops. Older children complain of feeling something in the eye.
• Eyelid Cellulitis (Serious). This is a deep infection of the eyelid and tissues around it. The main symptom is a red, swollen, very tender eyelid. The eye can be swollen shut. Usually only on one side. This can be a problem caused by bacterial conjunctivitis. The eye infection spreads inward. More commonly this is caused by an ethmoid sinus infection. That type occurs without any pus in the eye.

Symptoms of Bacterial Eye Infection

• Yellow or green discharge or pus in the eye
• Dried pus on the eyelids and eyelashes
• The eyelashes are more likely to be stuck together after sleep
• The whites of the eye may or may not be red or pink
• The eyelids are often puffy

When to Call for Eye - Pus or Discharge

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

• Eyelid is very red or very swollen
• Vision is blurred
• Eye pain or discomfort is more than mild
• Fever over 104° F (40° C)
• Fever in baby less than 12 weeks old. Caution: do NOT give your baby any fever medicine before being seen.
• Your child looks or acts very sick
• You think your child needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

• Pus in the eye, but none of the symptoms above. Reason: you may need antibiotic eyedrops to treat it.
• Using antibiotic eye drops more than 3 days and pus is still there

Seattle Children's Urgent Care Locations

If your child’s illness or injury is life-threatening, call 911.

• Bellevue
• Everett
• Federal Way
• Seattle
• Virtual Urgent Care

Care Advice for Pus In the Eye

1. What You Should Know About Bacterial Eye Infections:
   • Bacterial eye infections are common with colds.
   • They respond to home treatment with antibiotic eye drops which need a prescription.
   • They are not harmful to vision.
   • Until you get some antibiotic eye drops, here is some advice that should help.
2. Remove Pus:
   • Remove all the dried and liquid pus from the eyelids. Use warm water and wet cotton balls to do this.
   • Do this whenever pus is seen on the eyelids.
   • Also, remove the pus before the antibiotic eye drops are put in. Reason: they will not work if you don't.
   • The pus can spread infection to others. So, dispose of it carefully.
   • Wash your hands well after any contact with the pus.
3. Antibiotic Eye Drops: How to Use
   • For a cooperative child, gently pull down on the lower lid. Put 1 drop inside the lower lid. Then ask your child to close the eye for 2 minutes. Reason: so the medicine will get into the tissues.
   • For a child who won't open his eye, have him lie down. Put 1 drop over the inner corner of the eye. If your child opens the eye or blinks, the eye drop will flow in. If he doesn't open the eye, the drop will slowly seep into the eye.
4. Contact Lenses:
   • Children who wear contact lenses need to switch to glasses until the infection is gone.
   • Reason: to prevent damage to the cornea.
   • Disinfect the contacts before wearing them again.
   • Discard them if they are disposable.
5. Return to School:
   • Your child can return to school when the pus is a small amount.
   • Antibiotic eye drops should be used for 24 hours before going back.
6. What to Expect:
   • With treatment, the pus discharge should clear up in 3 days.
   • The red eyes may last up to a week.
7. Call Your Doctor If:
   • Eyelid gets red or swollen
   • You think your child needs to be seen
   • Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child develops any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Last Reviewed: 04/13/2023

Last Revised: 12/30/2022

Copyright 2000-2023. Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines LLC.

Conjunctivitis in a child. Medical articles on the site "MedMix plus"

Medical center "MedMix Plus", located in Penza at the addresses Ternovsky, 214 and st. New Caucasus, 8 offers a wide range of treatment for eye diseases for children, including childhood conjunctivitis.

Conjunctivitis is an inflammatory eye disease characterized by inflammation of the conjunctiva.

The disease often occurs in children with non-compliance with the rules of hygiene and improper treatment, quickly passes from a diseased eye to a healthy one, from person to person. Not treating conjunctivitis is very dangerous for a child, because the advanced form of the disease threatens with serious inflammation of the cornea, which can even lead to loss of vision.

Symptoms of conjunctivitis in children:

• complaints of pain or feeling of sand in the eyes;
• eye redness, swelling;
• purulent discharge from the eye;
• eyelid gluing;
• fear of light;
• appearance of yellow crusts on the eyelids;
• foreign body sensation in the eye;
• the child becomes lethargic, often cries, is naughty;
• loss of appetite;
• fuzziness, blurring of images;
• Discomfort and burning in the eye.

The causes of conjunctivitis are varied, but most often associated with hypothermia, colds or allergic reactions.

Based on the causes of the disease, conjunctivitis can be:

1. Bacterial - causative agents are gonococci, streptococci, etc.
2. Viral - Herpes and adenovirus are the causative agents.
3. Allergic - many pathogens - ranging from house dust and animal hair to certain foods.

Viral conjunctivitis in a child

Viral conjunctivitis is the most dangerous type of disease, so it is contagious, especially for babies. The virus is transmitted differently - by airborne droplets or by contact, by touching objects or a sick person. The disease is most common among children's groups, such as school, kindergarten, and often has the character of an epidemic.

Viral conjunctivitis can develop against the background of influenza, chickenpox, SARS and many other diseases.

The main signs of viral conjunctivitis:

• swelling, redness of the eyes, blood vessels become visible;
• lacrimation;
• fear of light;
• involuntary closing of the eyelids;
• the child complains of itching and pain in the eyes, feels a foreign body in the eye;
• children become capricious, cry, rub their eyes;
• vision may be impaired.

Most often, the disease affects one eye, and then passes to the second.

Bacterial conjunctivitis in a child

This type of disease is similar in its features to a viral one, but is accompanied by suppuration of the eyes in babies. Allocations are yellowish or whitish, opaque. As a result of suppuration, the child's eyelashes stick together, especially after sleep, and films or follicles form in front of the eyes. Dryness of the eye and the area around it can also be an indirect sign of infection.

Allergic conjunctivitis in a child

It is possible to avoid the occurrence of conjunctivitis, it is necessary to take only some preventive measures: This form of the disease is manifested by redness, swelling of the eyes, watery eyes, the symptoms do not go away for a long time. The severity of the symptoms depends on how much of the allergen has entered the body and how ready it is to show a protective reaction. It is important to determine which allergen caused the disease, and limit contact with it. Only an allergist can identify the allergen and cure such a condition, since against the background of the disease, serious manifestations of allergies can later develop.

- follow the rules of personal hygiene of the child;

- monitor the cleanliness of bed linen, toys;

- ventilate the room;

- use air purifiers and humidifiers;

- keep food clean;

- include fortified and healthy foods in the diet;

- to walk in the fresh air;

- avoid contact with sick people.

Clinical diagnosis and treatment of conjunctivitis "MedMix Plus"

How to quickly cure and how to treat conjunctivitis in a child is determined only by an ophthalmologist at the medical center "MedMix Plus".

Children's ophthalmologist of the first category Elizarova T.V.

Treatment of conjunctivitis is prescribed by a specialist only after he determines the cause and type of the disease. Strictly follow the doctor's instructions, use only clean gauze pads, do not reuse a cotton pad, check the expiration dates of medicines, use pipettes for instilling medicines with a rounded tip.

It is necessary to know that in young children (under 3 years of age) symptoms similar to those of conjunctivitis, namely, redness and inflammation of the eye, may be associated with foreign bodies or the development of an allergic reaction. However, similar symptoms also indicate more serious causes - increased intraocular and intracranial pressure.

Do not try to treat this disease on your own, in order to avoid serious health problems for your baby, seek fast, professional and affordable help from pediatric ophthalmologists at the MedMix Plus clinic.

You can make an appointment with a pediatric ophthalmologist by phone:
+7 (8412)204-003, +7 (8412)204-007 - st. New Caucasus, 8 (city district - CENTER)
+7 (8412)206-003, +7 (8412)205-003 - st. Ternovskogo, 214 (district of the city - TERNOVKA)

Why is there mucus in the eyes.

From Aimee Rodrigues; reviewed by Pamela Miller, OD, FAAO, JD, FNAP

Eye discharge is a combination of mucus, fat, skin cells, and other particles that accumulate in the corners of the eyes during sleep." They may be moist and sticky or dry, depending on on how much liquid has evaporated.0003

Mucous secretions have a protective function, flushing waste products and potentially dangerous particles from the tear film and the anterior surface of the eye.

Throughout the day, the eyes secrete mucus, but the ever-present tear film bathes your eyes with every blink, removing the secretions before they have time to harden.

When you sleep and do not blink, the discharge accumulates and dries up in the corners of the eyes, and sometimes along the lash line. accompanied by blurry vision, sensitivity to light or eye pain may indicate a serious eye infection or eye disease. Therefore, you should immediately contact an optometrist.

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