Dr Bernadette Carr answers your questions on custy eyelids and spotty nails

Dr Bernadette Carr answers all your questions on health concerns including how to deal with eye discharges and spots on your nails.

Q. My two-year-old has a cold and is waking in the morning with crusts on his eyelids. Is this conjunctivitis and how should I treat it?

A. It can be normal to wake up with ‘sleep’ in the eyes. This is generally a combination of oil and skin cells which have built up in the corner of the eye overnight.

This collects during sleep because you are not blinking and the normal eye discharges have a chance to collect in the corner of the eye.

Conjunctivitis is inflammation and irritation of the conjunctiva (which is the covering over the front of the eye).

It can be as a result of a bacterial or viral infection and can sometimes happen in people with allergies, especially to pollen and in people who suffer from hay fever.

In conjunctivitis there may be a discharge from the eyes and the eyes may feel gritty or itchy and irritated and may be reddish.

Often conjunctivitis will happen at times when the body is run down or when you have another infection like a cold or flu.

This is generally treated with an antibiotic drop or ointment prescribed by your GP and should clear in a matter of days.

Conjunctivitis should not be painful or cause any difficulty with vision.

Blepharitits is another condition that can happen in children and adults.

It involves inflammation of the eyelids at the base of the lashes above and below. The eye itself will not be involved.

There may be a crust at the edges of the eyelids and the eyelids may be irritated, red, itchy or sore.

This condition can be treated by cleaning the eyelids gently in the morning and evening with a cotton bud and a diluted solution of baby shampoo and bathing the eyelids gently with a towel soaked in warm water.

If these measures do not work sometimes an antibiotic ointment may be used along the edges of the eyelid if there is an infection.

Q. My 12-year-old son has developed white spots on his finger nails. 

Are they due to a mineral deficiency? If so, what foods do I need to include in his diet?

A. It is often said that the presence of white spots in the nails is an indication of a mineral deficiency such as low levels of calcium or magnesium.

However this is not the case.

The presence of white spots in the nail is most commonly a past history of minor trauma to the nail while it was growing, these injuries can be as simple as biting the nails and usually happened several months before the white spot appears.

The white spots are harmless and will grow out as the nail grows.

Certain minerals and nutrients in the diet are very important for healthy nail growth; these include zinc, iron, vitamin C as well as the B group vitamins.

Five portions of fruit and vegetables a day are recommended as part of a healthy diet.

Including a piece of fruit in your son’s lunch as well as some salad in sandwiches can help to achieve this. Citrus fruits such as oranges and kiwis are a good source of vitamin C, which is important for healthy skin and nails.

Calcium is also very important for children’s bones as they grow, which is found in dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurts.

White spots in the nails can sometimes be linked to dehydration so making sure your son keeps well hydrated especially if playing sports can also be helpful. Water is the best in this regard.

Iron is also a key mineral to be included in your son’s diet which helps with the development of healthy blood.

This is found in fortified cereals, red meat, leafy green vegetables and eggs and beans.

The food pyramid is a useful guide to follow when looking a child’s diet.

Including a balance of foods from each group is the best way to ensure that your son is getting all the nutrition he needs for healthy growth.