What Are Common Eye Diseases in Children?

Vision is crucial to a child’s growth and development. So, keep eye diseases and conditions as far away from them as possible. However, this is not always possible. So, to minimize potential damage to their eyes, you need to know the common eye diseases in children. It will help you spot them and arrange for treatment with their pediatric eye doctor.

Here are some of the common eye diseases in children.

Refractive Errors

The common refractive errors in children are nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. These cause blurry vision since light does not focus on the correct part of the retina. However, there are some signs you can take note of to help you catch these refractive errors. They include:

 

• Holding digital screens and books close to the face
   

• Complaining of headaches or eyestrain after performing visually intensive activities
   

• Squinting
   

• Tilting the head to look at the board or screen
   

• Sitting close to the television

When you notice some of these signs, take your child to the pediatric eye doctor at Smoot Eye Care. You can also catch them early by taking them for regular eye checkups from the time they are one year.

Chalazion

These are swellings on the upper or lower eyelids due to blockage of the oil glands. It results in swelling that is initially painless. However, it can become painful when the eye gets an infection and spreads to the rest of its parts.

Small chalazions go away on their own within a few months. However, large ones may have an infection. They may get bigger and cover the pupil, affecting their vision. Thus, they need treatment using medicated eye drops, warm compresses, surgical drainage, and removal. 

Amblyopia

It is a condition where the brain starts to ignore inputs from one eye over time. As it does this, it obstructs vision development in that eye. It becomes weaker and develops into a lazy eye with long-term vision problems. Some common symptoms to look out for are squinting, head tilting, poor depth perception, and eye wandering. 

The pediatric eye doctor may suggest surgery in some cases, but before surgery, they may try other treatments. These include using eyeglasses, eye patches, and eye drops.

Pink Eye

Pink eye or conjunctivitis results from irritation of the eye white due to allergies or infection. It can be viral or bacterial, which can spread and be contagious. However, pink eye due to allergies is not infectious. 

Pink eye causes the eyes to become red, itch, tear, and have sticky discharge. Thus, keep your child at home if there is an outbreak at school. The infection may go away on its own in a week. However, you can use antibiotic eye drops and warm compresses. It will help fight it and keep the child comfortable.

Strabismus

The strabismus condition causes crossed or misaligned eyes in about four percent of children. Without treatment, it may lead to amblyopia or vision loss. The signs to look out for are an eye that turns outward, in, up, or down while the other looks straight ahead.

For more information on common eye diseases in children, visit Smoot Eye Care at our Bedford, Indiana office. Call (812) 675-4199 to book an appointment today.