Red dots under the eyes of a child: reasons for what to do

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The appearance of red dots under the eyes of a child is a rather rare symptom in ophthalmology. It occurs as a result of rupture of capillaries and is a pinpoint hemorrhage. This phenomenon is called "petechiae" and can be observed not only in the form of red dots on the eyelids and under the eyes, but also look like a rash on any other part of the body and even mucous membranes.

What are petechiae?

These are small red spots that appear on the skin or mucous membranes as a result of subcutaneous bleeding. Depending on the cause of their formation, petechiae can be either completely harmless or require immediate treatment.

Outwardly, petechiae resemble a pronounced rash. They can be red, brown or purple. As a rule, such a "rash" is flat to the touch and does not change color when pressed. The size of red dots under the eyes of a child and on other parts of the body can vary from 1 to3 millimeters in diameter.

A distinctive feature of petechiae is that their appearance is not accompanied by any unpleasant symptoms: pain, tearing, pain, burning, and so on. The only exceptions are cases where the appearance of small red dots under the eyes of a child was caused by an allergic reaction or a dermatological disease that led to vascular damage.

Causes of petechiae

Why do red dots appear under the eyes? There are many possible answers to this question. For example, the causes of red dots under the eyes of a child can be:

• insect bites or other physical injury (strike);
• various dermatological diseases;
• allergic reactions;
• irritation due to the use of inappropriate cosmetics;
• lack of oxygen in the skin (hypoxia);
• exposure to adverse environmental conditions: sudden changes in temperature, ultraviolet radiation, strong winds and so on;
• avitaminosis;
• nervous exhaustion and stress that led to the development of inflammatory processes in the vascular system;
• eczema;
• seborrheic dermatitis;
• leukemia;
• kidney failure.

In some cases, the appearance of petechiae can be caused by taking medications, the purpose of which is to reduce blood clotting (anticoagulants). This group of drugs includes heparin and aspirin.

Also oftenthere is a variant of the appearance of red dots under the eyes after vomiting, a hysterical cough or prolonged crying, which caused a strong tension in the child.

Petechiae or heat rash?

Some parents confuse petechiae with heat rash. It is important to remember that these are two completely different phenomena! While petechiae are located on a certain area of the skin, prickly heat will certainly be noticeable not only on the face, but also in the chest area, as well as on the back. In addition, outwardly, a heat rash resembles small red pimples. Petechiae, as mentioned earlier, are flat to the touch and are located under the skin.

Other types of petechiae

To create a complete picture of petechiae, it is worth clarifying that they can be observed not only in the eye area, but also in other parts of the body of both a child and an adult. Moreover, in some cases, they are evidence not only of injuries or allergies, but also of dangerous diseases.

1. Vasculitis and autoimmune diseases. Red dots appear on the legs and arms. Soon they may disappear, and in their place the skin will begin to peel off.
2. Staph infection. During it, petechiae are observed on the skin and oral mucosa.
3. Gonorrhea. In addition to the standard symptoms, the disease may be accompanied by the appearance of petechiae in the lower legs and arms.
4. Enterovirus infection. In this case, the appearance of petechiae is considered a good sign, as it indicates that the patient is on the mend. Red dots can be found on the face, back and chest. Two laterdays they disappear without a trace.
5. Meningitis. In this disease, petechiae appear as a hemorrhagic rash that rapidly covers the abdomen, buttocks and legs.

Diagnosis

In order to determine the cause of red dots under the eyes and have an idea of their nature, the doctor will prescribe a complete examination for the child. It will include:

1. Consultation from narrower specialists. In particular, the list includes a dermatologist, neurologist, gastroenterologist, endocrinologist.
2. Allergy test.
3. Immunogram.
4. Blood test.
5. Scraping. The procedure is necessary to identify a possible fungal pathogen.
6. Colonoscopy, ultrasound. These examinations are carried out if there is a suspicion of pathology of the internal organs.

Only after identifying the exact reason why the vessel burst under the eye (red dots appear precisely because of this), the specialist will prescribe an adequate treatment for the child.

Treatment of red dots around the eyes

If the red dots under the eyes of a child have appeared as a result of an insect bite, there is no need for any special treatment. The only exceptions are cases when the baby has developed an allergic reaction in parallel.

In the same way, there is no need for treatment when small red dots under the eyes have formed as a result of nervous strain. It is enough just to provide the child with peace of mind, to normalize the schedule of his activity and sleep.

In all other cases, the doctor will prescribe the use of thoseor other medications. Their choice will depend on the cause of the problem.

Antihistamines

As an example, we can think of drugs such as:

1. "Radevit". The cream perfectly softens the skin, moisturizes it, enhances regeneration processes and relieves itching. The advantage of the drug is the absence of hormonal components in it.



2. "Gistan". The drug is available in the form of capsules or cream. It is used to relieve itching and prevent new inflammatory lesions.
3. "Traumeel". The specialist may prescribe the use of the drug in the form of drops, tablets or ointments. Regardless of the form of release, the agent normalizes blood rheology, increases the tone of the walls of blood vessels, and relieves pain. It is also effective in diseases and injuries of the skin. By the way, Traumeel has no analogues in terms of its type of impact today.

Glucocorticosteroids

Drugs of this group are prescribed in cases where the appearance of red dots under the eyes of a child was provoked by certain types of skin diseases:

1. "Lokoid". The ointment is used to treat non-infected skin diseases sensitive to the effects of glucocorticosteroids. In particular, this applies to dermatitis and eczema. The active substance of the drug is hydrocortisone.
2. "Momat". The cream has anti-inflammatory and antipruritic action. It is prescribed in the presence of irritation during dermatosis, as well asseborrheic dermatitis. The active substance of the product is mometasone.
3. "Advantan". The ointment stops the development of inflammatory processes, reduces the symptoms of an allergic reaction. Most often, "Advantan" is prescribed for various types of eczema and dermatitis.

Other external products

During treatment, the doctor may prescribe not only the main drug, but also the use of additional funds for external use. For example, these could be:

• antifungals;
• antiseptics (salicylic acid, boric alcohol);
• zinc ointments;
• calendula and chamomile ointments;
• antiviral ointments ("Acyclovir");
• tar-based hygiene products;
• menthol lotions based on camphor alcohol.

Additional therapeutic measures

May need to be used along with the main therapeutic treatment:

• mineral and vitamin complexes, in particular calcium, zinc and vitamins A and E;
• enterosorbents;
• antivirals;
• antihistamines;
• light sedatives (Novo-Passit, valerian, motherwort, glycine).

All of them do not directly affect the red dots under the eyes of the child, but can help eliminate the cause of their occurrence.

Folk remedies

If the cause of the red dots is not a serious illness and there is no need fordrug treatment, you can use folk methods. Masks made from natural products will help eliminate a cosmetic defect:

1. Lemon. It is necessary to mix a tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of oatmeal and a spoonful of kefir. The mask must be applied carefully, avoiding the area around the eyes.
2. Sour cream. To prepare it, you need to mix a tablespoon of fat sour cream, one grated potato and a few drops of tangerine juice. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a little water to it. The finished mask should be kept on the face for at least 25 minutes.
3. Honey. To prepare it, you will need a tablespoon of honey, one yolk, a couple of drops of juniper and orange oils. Daily use of this mask for just 5 minutes will help get rid of red dots in one week.
4. Potato. To prepare it, simply grate potatoes on a grater. The mask is applied to the affected area of the skin for three minutes, and then washed off with plain water. As a rule, improvements are noticeable after a few days.

Herbal compresses are also highly effective in combating the problem. To prepare them, you need to make a decoction of string, cornflower or dill seeds, soak gauze in them and put it on your face.

Home remedies for removing red dots are harmless, but you should pay attention to an important point. Their use is prohibited in the presence of allergies to the components. Otherwise, instead of the desired result, you can only aggravatesituation.

Preventive measures

It is unlikely that you will be able to completely protect your child from the appearance of red dots. But following some preventive measures can reduce the likelihood of a problem to a minimum. Experts recommend:

• strengthen the immune system;
• maintain the balance of minerals and vitamins in the body;
• avoid stressful situations (including avoiding prolonged tantrums);
• keep active;
• create the right sleep and activity schedule, avoid overwork;
• avoid contact with allergens;
• provide your child with a balanced diet, which must include dairy products, fish, liver, cheeses, legumes, cereals;
• take proper care of the skin of the face and use only special children's cosmetics (soap, cream, shampoo, etc.).

Be he althy!