Eye discomfort and redness in children

When to seek medical advice

Get emergency medical care if your child has eye discomfort and redness accompanied by:

Severe eye pain or irritation
Direct injury to the eye
Swelling in or around the eyes
Discharge of blood or pus from the eyes
Double vision, loss of vision or blurred vision

Find possible causes of eye discomfort and redness based on specific factors. Check one or more factors on this page that apply to your child's symptoms.

Walls RM, et al., eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Oct. 30, 2017.
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Zeiter D. Abdominal pain in children. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2017;64:525.
Palmer J, et al. Abdominal pain mimics. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2016;34:409.
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U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov. Accessed Nov. 11, 2017.
Schmitt BD. Fever. In: Pediatric Telephone Protocols: Office Version 15th ed. Elk Grove Village, Ill.: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2015.
Mannenbach MS (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 14, 2017.
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American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. https://orthoinfo.aaos.org. Accessed Nov. 20, 2017.
Petty RE, et al., eds. Textbook of Pediatric Rheumatology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2016. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 20, 2017.
Elsevier Point of Care. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 20, 2017.
Kasper DL, et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 19th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Education; 2015. http://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com. Accessed Nov. 20, 2017.
Wein AJ, et al., eds. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2016. https://www.clinicalkey.com.. Accessed Dec. 2, 2017.
National Eye Institute. https://nei.nih.gov. Accessed Dec. 5, 2017.
Wilkinson JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 8, 2017.

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