Fatigue and lack of sleep are familiar to everyone. The first sign that a person is not resting enough is swelling under the eyes. Normally, they disappear on their own after normalization of the regime. If the occurrence of edema is not associated with fatigue, it is worth thinking about a possible disease. First of all, this applies to children. After all, kids rarely get enough sleep and get tired, unlike adults. Edema under the eyes in children is often caused by various pathologies. It can be diseases of the heart, thyroid gland or kidneys. However, do not worry in advance, perhaps the so-called bags are just a feature of the baby's appearance or the result of insomnia that is not associated with a pathological condition.
Varieties of swelling under the eyes
To understand why the child has swelling under the eyes, you should consult a doctor. The doctor will prescribe the necessary examinations and find out the cause. There are several types of edema. Therefore, to determine the cause of their occurrence, an examination by a specialist is needed. Edema differs in localization, density and color of the skin when pressed. There are the following types of "bags" under the eyes:
- Physiological.
- Pathological.
- Hereditary.
Swelling is often associated with the accumulation of excess fluid under the skin. They occur as a result of drinking water at night. Also, physiological edema includes fatty "bags" under the eyes. They appear from the growth of subcutaneous tissue. For physiological swelling under the eyes in children, you can take a slight swelling and redness associated with lack of sleep.
Pathological "bags" are divided into mucous and protein. The first arise as a result of a malfunction of the thyroid gland. They have a soft texture. Protein edema is associated with kidney disease. They are more pronounced in the morning, have a soft texture.
Swelling under the eyes of a child: causes of appearance
When edema appears in a child, do not jump to conclusions. It is better to observe the baby for several days and determine at what time “bags” appear under the eyes and whether they are associated with fatigue. If the swelling does not go away on its own, you should consult a pediatrician. Causes of physiological edema can be:
- Water retention in the body. The accumulation of excess fluid is not always the result of kidney problems. Water can be retained in the child's body due to malnutrition. For example, when eating s alty foods or liquids in the evening.
- Eye fatigue. Overvoltage occurs due to prolonged viewing of TV, reading or sitting at the computer. As a result, not only vision deteriorates, but edema also appears.
- Chronic lack of sleep. The correct mode is very important, especially for children. Therefore, you should give your child a minimum of 8 hours of sleep at night. Daytime sleep is also important for preschool children.
- Exposure to the sun's rays on the skin of the face. Due to ultraviolet radiation, a protective reaction of the body is triggered, which provokes the accumulation of fluid.
In addition, swelling around the eyes is sometimes associated with the peculiarities of the skin and fatty tissue. In the presence of small edema in parents that are not associated with the disease, this feature can be inherited by the child.
The appearance of pathological "bags" under the eyes
There are a large number of reasons why there may be swelling under the eyes in children. If all harmful effects have been excluded, it is necessary to pass tests. One of the most common causes is kidney disease. In some cases, swelling is the only manifestation of the disease. Due to kidney disease, water can be retained in the body for a long time. Most often, fluid accumulates under the skin of the lower eyelids.
Another group of pathological causes are disorders of the endocrine system. Often, mucous edema is associated with a lack of thyroid hormones. The main reason is hypothyroidism. In addition to pathologies of the thyroid gland, edema can occur due to impaired regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary system of the brain.
Another dangerous group of causes is heart disease. In this case, the swelling has a dense texture and a bluish tint. The skin in the area of the "bags" is cold to the touch. In a child, severe swelling under the eyes may be a sign of heart disease, which is formed in utero.
Other causes include: liver pathology, metabolic disorders and inflammatory diseases of the eyes and paranasal sinuses. In such cases, there are symptoms of intoxication, the child becomes restless, there is a runny nose or a violation of the outflow of tears.
Edema in kidney disease
Kidney disease is the main reason for the development of pathological edema. The pathogenesis of this syndrome is associated with damage to the glomerular system of nephrons. The inflammatory process that develops in the tissues of the kidneys leads to their swelling. As a result, vascular compression occurs. Due to a decrease in the volume of circulating blood, the juxtaglomerular apparatus of the kidneys is irritated. As a result, the secretion of renin and aldosterone increases. The consequence of this is sodium retention in the body. In the blood, the level of antidiuretic hormone rises and osmoreceptors are irritated. As a result, water reabsorption by the renal tubules increases and fluid accumulates in the subcutaneous tissue. Most often, swelling in a child under the eyes in the morning is associated with this very reason. In such cases, you should pay attention to the baby's urination, compare the amount of fluid drunk and excreted. To detect chronic kidney disease, it is necessary to pass special testsurine.
Edema in pathologies of the heart
One of the causes of swelling under the eyes in children is heart failure. Unfortunately, such pathologies develop during the period of organ laying in the fetus and are not always diagnosed in time. Congenital diseases include heart defects. In some cases, the pathological condition develops as a result of viral and bacterial infections. Among them is myocarditis. Edema in heart disease has a complex pathogenesis. They appear as a result of impaired blood flow in the vessels of the kidneys, circulatory hypoxia and increased venous pressure. All these factors lead to an influx of plasma into the tissues. Cardiac edema is cold to the touch and has a bluish tint. Compared to the "bags" under the eyes that occur with kidney pathologies, they are denser in consistency. Such swelling can appear not only on the face, but also on the legs. In addition, heart disease in children is accompanied by cyanosis and shortness of breath.
Severe swelling under the eyes of a child under one year old
Deciphering the cause of edema in infants is more difficult than in older children. After all, babies cannot tell what exactly hurts them. Therefore, if there are "bags" under the eyes of a child under one year old, you should immediately consult a doctor. The reasons may be different. In rare cases, infants develop physiological swelling under the eyes. This is usually associated with sleep disturbance, which occurs due to malnutrition, intestinal colic, teething, etc. Pathological edema underthe eyes of a child. After its appearance, the baby should be examined. The most common causes of this syndrome include: hypothyroidism, heart defects and kidney disease.
Edema in inflammatory processes
Inflammatory diseases should be attributed to the causes of red swelling under the eyes of a child. Among them are sinusitis, rhinitis, conjunctivitis. All these diseases are associated with colds. The inflammatory process leads to the fact that vascular permeability increases and fluid enters the surrounding subcutaneous tissue. In addition, swelling under the eyes can be caused by allergic reactions. It is not difficult to identify such reasons. All inflammatory diseases are accompanied by fever, tearfulness, runny nose. With conjunctivitis, in addition to swelling, there is an accumulation of mucus or pus on the mucous membrane of the eyelids. "Bags" under the eyes go away on their own after the infection is eliminated.
Diagnostic measures for edema
To eliminate swelling under the eyes, you should establish the cause of this symptom. First of all, you should pay attention to the mode of the child. If possible, you should exclude staying at the computer and normalize sleep. If the swelling does not disappear after this, a complete examination is necessary. In the presence of soft "bags" under the eyes or redness in the morning, a blood and urine test should be taken. If there are any abnormalities, an ultrasound of the kidneys is performed. If the doctor suspectsthe presence of cardiac edema requires special diagnostics. The child should undergo echocardiography to rule out malformations. With mucous edema, it is required to donate blood for thyroid and pituitary hormones. In order for the "bags" under the eyes to disappear, first of all, etiological therapy is required, that is, the elimination of the cause of their appearance.
Treatment of edema in children
Treatment of edema depends on the provoking factor. In some cases, the use of antiviral drugs, such as Anaferon or Viferon suppositories, is sufficient. These medicines will help to cope with a cold, and the redness under the eyes will disappear. With renal edema, hormonal therapy is required, and diuretics are also prescribed. Pathogenetic therapy includes drugs that improve blood circulation, such as Dipyridamole. Heart defects require surgical intervention. In case of hormonal deficiency, the drugs "Eutiroks" and "Iodomarin" are prescribed.
Prevention of swelling under the eyes
To avoid swelling, you should visit the pediatrician in a timely manner. Children under 1 year of age should be taken for preventive examinations every month. This will help to diagnose the violation in time and cure it. The correct regimen and rest for the eyes will help prevent physiological edema.
