Children’s Eye Health – Common Problems & Their Treatments

So here are some signs which you will help you to identify if there is any vision related problem in child-

• Watery eyes
• Constantly rubbing eyes
• Inability to focus
• White/grey pupil instead of black
• Redness or itching in the eyes
• Sensitivity to light
• Not able to see the blackboard/white board clearly
• Frequent headaches.

Some common vision problems in children and their treatments-

1. Amblyopia

It is also called lazy eyes. It is a condition in which the vision of one eye gets reduced due to improper development of the affected eye. It happens because the brain only works for one eye. This disease can be witnessed in infancy and early childhood.

Treatment-

• Generally, an eye patch or an eye drop is advised for the unaffected eyes so that the weaker eye is forced to see things.
• Glasses are prescribed when lazy eyes are caused by refractive errors.
• If none of the above methods work, then the surgery is done to loosen or tighten the muscle of an eye which is causing improper alignment of the eye.

2. Chalazion

It is a swelling or a bump on the eyelid which is painless. It develops when a gland present at the corner of the eye named meibomian gets blocked or inflamed. It usually lasts for a few weeks.

Treatment

• Warm compresses help treat chalazion.
• Antibiotics or steroid injections can also be given if it doesn’t go away with warm compresses.
• If none of the methods work then minor surgery is done so that the lump gets drained.

3. Refractive errors-

• Myopia- In this vision error, we can’t see distant objects clearly.
• Hyperopia- When we can’t see nearby objects clearly, it is known as hyperopia.
• Astigmatism- Everything seems blurred out if you are suffering from astigmatism.

Treatment-

To correct these three refractive errors i.e. myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism, glasses and contact lenses are advised by ophthalmologists. You can wear any one of them based on your comfort.

4. Epiphora-

It is a condition in which the tears overflow and result in the collection of the mucus. They are common in newborn babies. It is caused by the blocked tear duct, injury, allergy, dry eyes, infection, and inflammation.

Treatment-

• If it is caused because of the insertion of any foreign object in it, clean it with splashing water in your kid’s eyes.
• If it is caused by an allergy, appropriate medication or an eye drop is required to treat it.
• If it is caused by inflammation and infection, antibiotic drops and ointments are advised by ophthalmologists.
• If it is caused by blocked tear ducts, antibiotics and warm compresses will help.

5. Strabismus-

It happens when eyes don’t line up in a correct sequence and the direction of both the eyes become different. This misalignment can keep on shifting from one eye to another.

It is the most common vision problem in children.

Treatment-

• Firstly, glasses are recommended to straighten the eyes.
• Some eye exercises may also be advised by doctors.
• If it doesn’t work then wearing eye patches or an eye drop is advised.
• Lastly, if nothing works surgery is done to correct the misalignment of the eyes.

6. Conjunctivitis-

It is redness on the white part of the eyes. It usually occurs due to infection, allergy, or irritation. The symptoms of this disease are- itchiness, redness, or tear in the eyes. A yellow or sticky discharge may also be there from your kid’s eyes.

Treatment-

• Conjunctivitis is treated with antibiotic drops and ointments.
• Frequent washing of hands is also recommended to other family members so that infection doesn’t spread.