Question
My child’s right eye was damaged at birth, with blood in the white of the eye. The blood has now disappeared, but there is an excessive amount of eye discharge. Is this a disease, and if so, how should it be treated?
Answer
It’s normal for infants around 2 to 3 months old to have some eye discharge in the morning, as eyelashes tend to grow inward during this period, causing friction and irritation to the eyes. Generally, by around 1 year old, the eyelashes will naturally grow outward, and the eye discharge will gradually decrease, so no treatment is needed. You can clean the eyes with a warm towel or gently wipe them clean from the inner corner to the outer corner using a cotton swab dipped in a 2% boric acid solution. Another reason for excessive eye discharge could be internal heat in the child, commonly referred to as ‘being overheated.’ This often occurs due to a diet high in fish, shrimp, and meat with fewer fruits and vegetables. In addition to excessive eye discharge, symptoms may include aversion to heat, easy sweating, dry stools, and thick tongue coating. The best approach to treatment is to change poor dietary habits, drink more water, and take some cooling and detoxifying Chinese medicine if necessary. If your child suddenly has a lot of eye discharge along with itchy and red eyes, it’s important to visit a hospital to check for ‘pink eye.’ This condition requires the use of chloramphenicol eye drops and erythromycin ointment in addition to regional treatment.