Gunky, weepy eye

mrsraggle · Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:41 PM

Ellie has had a gunky eye for a while now but it seems to be getting worse and today I've found it weeping a bit (tears in the corners of her eyes). She doesn't seem too bothered by it in that she's opening it fine etc but I wondered if this will clear up itself or if I need to take her to the doctors?

vinnypeanut · Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:45 PM

My LO had this and its only just starting to ease off. GP said it looked like a blocked tear duct and aslong as it didnt become sore or infected it would clear up on its own. x

Snitsel · Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:46 PM

Ayla had this, the doctor said its a blocked tear duct.. cool some boiled water and soak some cotton wool an wipe from the inside out an throw away an repeat til the eye is cleaned.. It should clear up on its own after a day or 2, if not bring her to the doctor they will check if its conjunctivitus...

mazy · Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:47 PM

Hiya my lil one had this from a few days old to about 3 weeks old. It cleared up by itself and I just used cool boiled water to clean it when it was gunky. I remember asking my midwife about it when she was 10 days and she said if I was bothered it was not clearing then make an appointment with the Dr. I did'nt have to do that but if your very concerned maybe do that. Hope it clears soon x

Tacey · Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:48 PM

If you're breastfeeding, milk clears it up a treat. Alice had it a few times and it was gone very quickly after I cleaned it with the milk.

Squidge · Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:48 PM

My LO had this for months so we were told it was a blocked tear duct and just to wipe it with warm water and cotton wool. It wasn't clearing so she had eyedrops - didn't do nothing so they just said to carry on wiping it and it'd definitely clear up.

Anyway, long story short, it didn't clear up and a couple of weeks ago she ended up on antibiotics for something totally different and THAT cleared it! She's fine now.

I'd take LO to the doctors and see what they think - could be just blocked or it could be an infection

Lara310809 · Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:56 PM

Chloe had what looked like conjunctivitis when she was about a week old - greeny coloured eye gunk. It was never diagnosed as that, but better to be safe than sorry. My MIL is a midwife and she suggested dipping a piece of cotton wool in cold tea (obviously made from cooled boiled water), and wiping it across her eye.

You should only use each piece of cotton wool once, and wipe across the eye only once with each piece. She said to wipe the eye with tea at least three times, and repeat as often as necessary. We did this, and it was literally gone IMMEDIATELY. I was so impressed. We continued to wipe her eye for the whole day, but the gunk never came back after the initial wiping.

I was also told to lie her to sleep with the infected eye nearest the matress, in case there was any discharge that ran into the clean eye.

It may clear on it's own, but I personally wouldn't risk it. Ellie could easily infect the other eye by wiping, and if it is an infection, you don't want it spreading. For the sake of a few minutes I think it's really worth it.

lepaskilf · Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:57 PM

yeh, blocked tear duct, we did the same as everyone else, and like squidge ended up with eye drops that didn't work!

It eventually cleared up at around 5 months!!! Long time I know but to help speed things up I was advised to massage the side of the nose near the tear duct, as that's where it needs to fuse xxx

TattiesMum · Jun 3rd, 2010, 16:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lara310809

Chloe had what looked like conjunctivitis when she was about a week old - greeny coloured eye gunk. It was never diagnosed as that, but better to be safe than sorry. My MIL is a midwife and she suggested dipping a piece of cotton wool in cold tea (obviously made from cooled boiled water), and wiping it across her eye.

You should only use each piece of cotton wool once, and wipe across the eye only once with each piece. She said to wipe the eye with tea at least three times, and repeat as often as necessary. We did this, and it was literally gone IMMEDIATELY. I was so impressed. We continued to wipe her eye for the whole day, but the gunk never came back after the initial wiping.

.

I'll second the cold tea treatment

I used to use it on my LO's for gunky eyes and I still use it on my animals when needed - works every time

Lazy Leo · Jun 3rd, 2010, 16:07 PM

My LO had this when we left the hospital and I was given chloramphenicol drops, which I kept getting on prescription but at 6 months old it still hadn't cleared and I went to the doctor to get something else as it had really deteriorated. He gave me another antibiotic eye drop/cream to use and it still wasn't having much of an effect.

She had actually broken the skin under her eye because it was constantly wet (you know what its like if you've been crying a lot) and I put vaseline on her under-eye. Two nights in a row. And boom, sticky eye gone....

It might have been coincidence but vaseline never does any harm so its worth a shot if you don't see it improving.

Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:41 PM	#1
mrsraggle Mum (Mom) BnB Elite Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: North Birmingham/South Staffs Posts: 10,235	Gunky, weepy eye Ellie has had a gunky eye for a while now but it seems to be getting worse and today I've found it weeping a bit (tears in the corners of her eyes). She doesn't seem too bothered by it in that she's opening it fine etc but I wondered if this will clear up itself or if I need to take her to the doctors?

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Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:45 PM	#2
vinnypeanut Mum (Mom) Chat Happy BnB Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,222	My LO had this and its only just starting to ease off. GP said it looked like a blocked tear duct and aslong as it didnt become sore or infected it would clear up on its own. x

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Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:46 PM	#3
Snitsel Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Ireland Posts: 199	Ayla had this, the doctor said its a blocked tear duct.. cool some boiled water and soak some cotton wool an wipe from the inside out an throw away an repeat til the eye is cleaned.. It should clear up on its own after a day or 2, if not bring her to the doctor they will check if its conjunctivitus...

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Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:47 PM	#4
mazy Mum (Mom) Active BnB Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Nottingham, UK Posts: 213	Hiya my lil one had this from a few days old to about 3 weeks old. It cleared up by itself and I just used cool boiled water to clean it when it was gunky. I remember asking my midwife about it when she was 10 days and she said if I was bothered it was not clearing then make an appointment with the Dr. I did'nt have to do that but if your very concerned maybe do that. Hope it clears soon x

Status: Offline

Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:48 PM	#5
Tacey Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: May 2008 Location: Warwickshire Posts: 5,954	If you're breastfeeding, milk clears it up a treat. Alice had it a few times and it was gone very quickly after I cleaned it with the milk.

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Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:48 PM	#6
Squidge Mum (Mom) BnB Elite Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 11,472	My LO had this for months so we were told it was a blocked tear duct and just to wipe it with warm water and cotton wool. It wasn't clearing so she had eyedrops - didn't do nothing so they just said to carry on wiping it and it'd definitely clear up. Anyway, long story short, it didn't clear up and a couple of weeks ago she ended up on antibiotics for something totally different and THAT cleared it! She's fine now. I'd take LO to the doctors and see what they think - could be just blocked or it could be an infection

Status: Offline

Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:56 PM	#7
Lara310809 Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Gibraltar Posts: 7,826	Chloe had what looked like conjunctivitis when she was about a week old - greeny coloured eye gunk. It was never diagnosed as that, but better to be safe than sorry. My MIL is a midwife and she suggested dipping a piece of cotton wool in cold tea (obviously made from cooled boiled water), and wiping it across her eye. You should only use each piece of cotton wool once, and wipe across the eye only once with each piece. She said to wipe the eye with tea at least three times, and repeat as often as necessary. We did this, and it was literally gone IMMEDIATELY. I was so impressed. We continued to wipe her eye for the whole day, but the gunk never came back after the initial wiping. I was also told to lie her to sleep with the infected eye nearest the matress, in case there was any discharge that ran into the clean eye. It may clear on it's own, but I personally wouldn't risk it. Ellie could easily infect the other eye by wiping, and if it is an infection, you don't want it spreading. For the sake of a few minutes I think it's really worth it.

Status: Offline

Jun 3rd, 2010, 15:57 PM	#8
lepaskilf Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: I live in North Wales Posts: 3,282	yeh, blocked tear duct, we did the same as everyone else, and like squidge ended up with eye drops that didn't work! It eventually cleared up at around 5 months!!! Long time I know but to help speed things up I was advised to massage the side of the nose near the tear duct, as that's where it needs to fuse xxx

Status: Offline

Jun 3rd, 2010, 16:07 PM	#10
Lazy Leo Mum (Mom) BnB Addict Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: UK Posts: 4,589	My LO had this when we left the hospital and I was given chloramphenicol drops, which I kept getting on prescription but at 6 months old it still hadn't cleared and I went to the doctor to get something else as it had really deteriorated. He gave me another antibiotic eye drop/cream to use and it still wasn't having much of an effect. She had actually broken the skin under her eye because it was constantly wet (you know what its like if you've been crying a lot) and I put vaseline on her under-eye. Two nights in a row. And boom, sticky eye gone.... It might have been coincidence but vaseline never does any harm so its worth a shot if you don't see it improving.

Status: Offline

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