Toddlers- 1 to 3-year-old children who are preoccupied with learning new activities and motor skills—can't understand what’s wrong with their bodies. As a parent, it's up to you to look out for any strange symptoms, like eye discharge, that cause irregularities in your toddler’s body.
Eyes discharge in toddlers would appear either green, pink, or yellow mucus covering the white part due to a block in the tear duct. This would make their eyes sticky, covering most of the eyes with mucus. The discharge on the eyes can lead to infections, underlying many issues.
Eye discharge is an abnormal form of mucus that blocks more of the tear duct in a toddler’s eyes. This clear, thin mucus can make eyes sticky, covering the white surface and inner eyelid. Some causes that can cause toddlers to have eye discharge are:
When toddlers are contaminated with allergens, their immune systems cannot resist. It shows symptoms of itchiness, redness, or watery discharge. An infection with allergens can lead to conjunctivitis.
A toddler's eyes can be allergic to
Bacterial conjunctivitis is the red eyes with green mucus discharge as a result of bacterial infections. A child would have many symptoms before the swollen or matted eyelids; don’t ignore their silent suffering. Toddlers find it difficult to cope with bacterial conjunctivitis, and the active agents resulting in their eye infection are,
Your toddler may be silently suffering from blocked tear ducts. In the developing stage, the tear ducts may be blocked, and this immature condition results when the Hasner valve, a thin membrane-like layer, is clogged with mucus and does not evacuate on itself.
Before the excessive watery eyes or thick yellow or green discharge hurts their eyes further, parents stay aware. This is a sign of urgency and requires an immediate eye checkup.
The pink eye infection, as we call it, viral conjunctivitis, has a watery discharge, that is clear and watery. Sometimes a small amount of mucus is mixed in the eye discharge if you closely look into the infected eye of your toddler.
As a parent, it is essential to watch out for the signs and symptoms of conjunctivitis. Especially when your kid wakes up in the morning, the symptoms become more indicative. The mucous membrane must get nourishment and proper lubrication to prevent the worsening of the eye condition. If you want to know the cause, the viruses that infect eyes with conjunctivitis are:
These viruses mostly attack the respiratory system, causing the transmission of infection.
Styes could be seen when infection occurs on the hair follicles of eyelids, a red bump similar to a pimple. It is painful and makes toddler eyes swollen, causing discharge when it cracks.
This can get away simply after some days but if it does not, it would turn into a hard bump known as chalazion. Chalazion takes form when oil glands get blocked. The eye discharge might be yellow or white.
Cellulitis is an infection in the inner layers of skin and tissue around the eye. When toddlers are infected with cellulitis, they show the following signs:
Normal discharge of the eye is favorable as it is a natural process in the eyes but abnormal discharge can lead to complications that may damage your toddler's eyes early.
You can tell if your toddler has a general normal discharge or an abnormal discharge by comparing its symptoms:
| Basis of difference | Normal Discharge | Abnormal Discharge |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Clear or white | Yellow, green, pink or thick white |
| Mucus amount | Slighter mucus in the tear duct area | Excessive discharge throughout the day |
| Consistency in eye | Thin and watery | Thick or sticky |
| Other relatable symptoms | No other symptoms are present | Redness |
| Itching | ||
| Swelling of the eyelids | ||
| Pain in eyes | ||
| Fever | ||
| Crusted eyelids while waking up |
Parents should be well aware of the causes and symptoms of a toddler’s eye discharge to cure it, as “prevention is better than a cause” to make their eyes healthy and clear. They should be more careful because they are not well-developed in their abilities to take measures.
If there is any unusual green, yellow, or white eye discharge, parents should follow the following guidelines with precautions to treat toddler eye discharge:
Wash and sterilize your hands before touching and carrying a toddler.
Wipe the discharge with a clean, sterilized white cotton cloth or air buds soaked in warm water. Never use the same cloth to wipe another part of a toddler's eyes or for next time.
Parents should limit showing videos to only one hour a day. Focus more on engaging games with toys and take a walk outside for fresh air.
Deep a warm white cotton cloth soaked in warm water and squeeze all excess water. Apply and compress gently on the toddler's affected eyes to reveal the blocked tear duct and reduce the swollen stye.
Parents can use a home saline solution by mixing ¼ teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm distilled water. After a few minutes of cooling, gently rinse it with the sanitized white cotton cloth.
Likely, parents can also use sterile saline or eyewash solutions like
Clean the room daily. Keep toddlers away from dust, smoke, chemicals, and pet hair.
Feed the toddler with drinking fluid like water, milk, or fruit juice (watermelon, orange, or grape).
Form the habit of cleaning toddler’s eyes daily with a warm cotton cloth in the morning when they are awake.
If the cases get extreme, even with persistent discharge, thick color discharge, high fever, or blocked tear ducts in children's eyes, take a medical follow-up from a pediatrician.
Parents should look after their children's eyes, whether they have normal mucus on their eye ducts or something beyond normal that can cause eye diseases like conjunctivitis and bacterial infection. Make sure your toddler's eyes are healthy and clean. If they are not, know how parents can get rid of eye discharge in toddlers.
A toddler's eye discharge can lead to vision problems, like not seeing, infection with viruses, or the risk of eye disease early in their life. For any sign of worries, parents can book an appointment with Vision Concern for proper check-ups, tests, and guidelines.
Yes, we provide emergency eye care for conditions like eye injuries, sudden vision loss, and infections. If you experience any urgent eye problems, please contact us immediately, and our team will assist you in getting the care you need.
Signs to watch for include blurry vision, floaters, sudden loss of vision, eye pain, redness, or sensitivity to light. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to schedule an eye exam at Vision Concern Eye Clinic as soon as possible for early diagnosis and treatment.
If you’re experiencing blurred vision, headaches, or eye strain, it may be a sign that you need glasses or contact lenses. Our eye exams will help determine whether you need corrective lenses. We’ll also discuss your options based on your lifestyle and preferences, including glasses, contacts, or even refractive surgery like LASIK.
