My 2-year-old has had eye gunk (greenish) for a few days. Mostly when he wakes up -- it is really bad then and i have to lay a wet towel on it to get it out of his eyelashes. Last year, he got H1N1 and I remember the same kind of thing happening. But then, he had terrible fever and lethargy, etc. This time, however, it is just eye gunk, runny nose, and now it looks like ear gunk too (he has tubes so infections release the goo out into the main part of the ear). He doesn't have a fever and is acting OK -- just a little irritable but he's 2 so it's hard to tell. I'm taking him to the doctor tomorrow, but I wondering if anyone has had a kid with H1N1 who didn't have severe symptoms. Anything else I should be concerned about with the eye gunk? Doesn't look like pink eye. Thanks in advance!
Thanks for all your input. I did hear that if you had H1N1 last year you should be pretty much immune to it this year. Probably just an infection gone awry. I'll let you all know the doctor's diagnosis tomorrow!
My sons eyes used to be glued shut like that in the morning, at that age. He had a little tear duct clogging from who knows what. The dr, gave us nothing for it. Just did what you did and after a few weeks would go away.
Flu (like the H1N1 strain) is an upper repository condition. I would think if the only symptom your little one has are sticky eyes, then it is not the flu.
If the eyes are not red and if your child doesn't complain that they hurt or feel like there is sand in them, then it probably isn't pink eye either.
So you are left with what? Maybe a mild sinus infection? Our head is chock full of sinus cavities. And in the young, I kinda think head colds can look different from adults (whose skulls and sinus cavities are done growing). Mostly, our sinuses drain through our nose or down our throats...But in the young, could sinus drainage (i know--ick) express thru the eyes? Maybe.
My kids had a similar infection last year too (following H1N1). But, the doc said it was not connected to the H1N1, but rather a secondary infection from bacteria. An antibiotic eye cream was required to clear it up (and one of my kids also had an oral for a sinus infection).
J.
He could have an ear infection even though he had tube or he could have a inu infection or just be really reall congested. You might want o see the ped tomorrow because he could also have pink eye.
it could be allergies or a clogged tear duct.
putting a warm wet clothe on it should help.
he may need an antibiotic creme for his eye.
Whenever my son got colds he would have that thick gunky eye goop. Turned out his tear ducts were partially clogged. After surgery they were fine and the gunk went away for the most part.
Sounds like he has moved the infection to his eye. It is very easy for kids to do that because they touch everything and then think nothing of rubbing the eyes. With no fever, I would not think that he has N1H1. As well, shouldn't his immune system be stronger to N1H1, since he already had it? Not sure if that is so, since it was last year.
My oldest (3 years) just had a virus last week that also produced eye gunk. It cleared up after a couple of days. I took him to the ped though because my youngest (1 year) had an ear infection and it caused his eyes to drain. And even though my oldest should be able to tell me whether his ears hurt or not, I wanted to double check. I think the littler they are the more compact all those parts are and are likely connected. As they grow, they start to spread apart and you see less gunky eyes with an ear infection, etc.
Also, if your son was tested and definitely had H1N1, he should now be immune to it. Once you get a virus you don't get it again.
Any time my kids have had sinus or ear infections, they get eye gunk.
Not necessarily. Any cold with sinus gunk can turn into gross green goop in the eyes. I had it last year (dr said sinus infection), and both of my kids got green goop in their eyes with a regular cold. It's just another place to leak mucus when you have too much, I think! As long there is no fever, etc, it's probably just a cold. Take care!
yes, sinus can eject thru eyes ... when we tear up the tears actuall go thru our nose and when you cry it is it excess that can not drain down there fast enough. I my son had nasty ear infections (eneded in tubes as well) and sometimes when he had sinus issues he would get conjuctivitius (sp) where he would drain thru his eyes because his adnoids were inflamed so when he had his tubes put in we also removed the adnoids and this has not been an issue since.
i think its an eye/ear infection
