Parents frequently question whether they need to be concerned about their child’s excessive blinking. Although this symptom is usually not cause for concern, if your child blinks frequently or exhibits other worrying signs, you should take them to the doctor. Rarely, excessive blinking can indicate a neurological condition or cause vision loss.
Four main reasons of excessive blinking were identified by a large study of kids under the age of 16 these included issues with the cornea at the front of the eye, habitual tics (involuntary repetitive body movements), in-accuracies in refractive correction and crossed or misaligned eyes (strabismus).
Sometimes there is no clear reason for excessive blinking. If your child keeps blinking, get them evaluated again.
During an examination, your ophthalmologist can determine what is causing your child to blink excessively. The front of the eye will be examined. In order to determine whether your child has any issues affecting the cornea at the front of the eye, your doctor utilises a special microscope with bright light (referred to as a slit lamp).
Eye alignment will also be checked. Crossed eyes (strabismus) sounds easy to diagnose, but some children’s eyes do not cross visibly to parents, or cross intermittently (not all the time). When strabismus is not obvious, a pediatric ophthalmologist uses different tests to examine the movement of the eyes and see how well they work together.
Visual acuity (sharpness) is also assessed. This includes reading the eye chart to see if your child needs glasses.
Depending on the cause, frequent blinking may require different treatments. The eye is cleansed of the eyelash or other irritant. Other therapies including over-the-counter or prescription eye drops may be suggested by your doctor. Your kid could have to wear a patch. This lessens blinking and promotes wound healing. You can also use eye drops or ointments with moisturisers or antibiotics. When excessive blinking is brought on by a refractive defect such nearsightedness, glasses are recommended (myopia). Sometimes children’s eyes can be straightened just using glasses. Others require surgery to realign the eye muscles or eye exercises. In most cases, excessive blinking caused by tics doesn’t require treatment. It may take months for tics to go away. Find out what causes your child’s tic by talking to your pediatrician. Stress, exhaustion, anxiety, and medications for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can all aggravate tics.
Your doctor can recommend a neurologist if your child exhibits other tic symptoms (such as vocal tics, which include coughing or throat clearing). This might be a symptom of Tourette’s syndrome.
In most cases, observation is all that is required if no reason is identified and there are no additional symptoms. Consult your ophthalmologist for a follow-up check if you experience any new symptoms.
At The Eye Center- Dr. Mahnaz Naveed Shah & Associates our team of eight ophthalmology subspecialists/ eye specialists, eye surgeons who are considered amongst the very best eye specialists in Karachi and in Pakistan, have the diagnostic and treatment capabilities to treat from the simplest to the most complex patients. We work hard to provide our patients with the best possible medical and surgical eye care, in a state of the art purpose built eye care facility. We offer the entire array of medical, laser and surgical treatments to help provide patients the best possible care in the most efficient, safe and ethical manner.
If you need an appointment, please contact us at 03041119544 during our working hours or leave us a WhatsApp message at +923028291799 and someone will connect with you. Walk-in appointments are also available for emergencies. We can also be reached through our web portal on www.surgicaleyecenter.org
