4 year old eyes hurt + temp

[Blue910]

Just looking for some late night advice.

My 4 year old has mentioned a few times in the last week that the sun was too bright. Then this morning he said his eyes were hurting and I thought I should book him an eye test.

Seemed absolutely fine, ate breakfast, went swimming etc. with no complaints.

This afternoon he went quiet and I felt him and realised he was hot, temp of just over 39c. He also started saying his eyes were hurting again and just seemed really unwell. I was starting to worry at this point about meningitis but he had calpol and a nap and woke up seemingly fine, temp gone and has been running around like normal all afternoon albeit with little appetite. Four hours later, calpol obviously wore off, temp spiked again, and again saying his eyes hurt when it was light. Gave calpol, discussed taking him to A&E, and once again his temp dropped and he absolutely perked him and showed no signs eyes were bothering him.

If this was meningitis would he really be acting so ok in himself? Could calpol really mask light sensitivity that much?

I guess I’m just looking for reassurance that I’m doing the right thing by not taking him to A&E tonight and just monitoring him instead (he’s in bed with me).

For context, my youngest has just shifted a bug, and I’ve had a sinus infection that’s only just lifting

High temp and sensitivity to light, get him to A&E. Classic meningitis symptoms.

Don't mess about. Better go and find out it's nothing than wait and it be too late.

A and E, hopefully nothing possibly meningitis

Even though he’s since been absolutely fine with light? I was on the verge of taking him earlier when he perked right up and happily sat in a well lit kitchen playing on his iPad!

Yes.

Dd was like this and it was Covid. Only tested her because I was worried it was meningitis with the light sensitivity. You do need to get him checked out though

If it was meningitis he’d have only got worse - calpol wouldn’t be touching the sides. The light sensitivity doesn’t come and go - it is unbearable and he wouldn’t be running around with a normal temp in between. Sore eyes / head quite common with viruses as you generally feel achey. I’m an A&E paeds nurse and we always say go with the child not the number - if he’s running around and eating and drinking he’s more than likely handling a virus well on his own with a fever that responds to calpol. Kids with meningitis are lethargic, can barely lift their head, generally but not always have a rash and are extremely light sensitive - as if you were shining a torch into them instead of a low level lamp. But obviously if he gets worse you’ll want to get him checked.

Sounds like a flu type illness. Meningitis is severe and doesn’t respond to Calpol. My DD was sick, screaming and had a rash that didn’t fade under glass when she was 2. Called 111, they sent paramedic who took us to A&E because she would t let them touch her. She ran up and down the corridor. Dr came and said without looking at her said she does not have meningitis!

Thank you, that is reassuring. Obviously I’m monitoring him closely but he was literally running about outside in the sunshine this afternoon for a couple of hours after the first temp spike and eyes hurting / sensitivity. It’s been more than four hours since his last calpol dose now and he’s asleep but temp is just below 38 still. The temperature itself doesn’t worry me, he’s always had high temperatures with even the slightest virus, but the eyes were ringing alarm bells until it just seemed to disappear.

I get achey eyes when I have a flu type illness. Sounds like you’re doing all the right things. They are a worry at times.

What are you actually asking if you don’t feel you need to have him assessed?

We only count a fever in paeds as 38+ so if he’s under that = no fever which is hopefully reassuring.

the scary ones (meningitis/ sepsis) happen fast, he wouldn’t have been complaining of symptoms on and off for a few days and be running around outside in daylight if it was serious. his temp would also be uncontrolled with calpol and Nurofen.

@greengreyblue this is exactly why I didn’t take him in at about 9pm when we were discussing it (me and my partner), he was absolutely fine, chatting away and playing on his iPad (never would normally be up at 9, let alone playing on an iPad but I thought it would be a good test for whether his eyes really were hurting) and by that point temp had gone right back down, so I know he would have been low priority in the A and E list!

Just for reassurance I guess. I have health anxiety so I’ve almost had to train myself not to go to A and E for every little thing, but then that makes me scared that I’ll miss a big thing! People say that mums know best but I really don’t think I do ever know best because my judgement is always clouded by anxiety.

In that case you should seek an opinion from someone you know is genuinely a health professional, not that of strangers on mumsnet. Calling 111 might be a good idea

I've had the achy eyes (light sensitive too) the couple of times I've had Covid.

I’m not after medical opinions on what could be wrong for him, just reassurance from fellow parents that I’m not making completely the wrong call here. 111 have never been helpful in the past as there are no out of hours services of an evening / night here so it’s either go to A&E or wait for a call back, last time the call back took three days when it was meant to come within an hour. Plus he would have to be awake for an assessment and he’s currently asleep without a fever so it seems pointless waking him. Thanks for your input though.

How is he this morning op?

Just in case anyone else comes across this, I once had a growing headache for a few days and was then referred to hospital.
When I got there, the light was terrible, my headache was horrific, they did a spinal tap and said I had meningitis. The doctor said he knew it was viral meningitis as in the nicest possible way if it was bacterial I'd be dead by now!!
So you don't get better, you just get worse! Maybe he has had viral meningitis which is actually very common xx

He seems ok, still saying his eyes are hurting but doesn’t seem sensitive to light or in particular pain. His temp didn’t go about 38 all night and was back to 36.8 this morning without any medicine.

That’s great OP .See your instinct WAS right.

Hi OP - just wanted to check how your LO got on in the end after this? My son is also co playing of sore eyes and has been unwell on and off with various bugs