Eye Problems in Children

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There are many kinds of eye problems that children get.

Types of eye conditions

• Blocked tear ducts. Tears made by the eye can’t drain into the tear ducts if they are blocked. The baby’s eyes water even when the baby is not crying. This usually happens to babies up to 2 months old. Most blocked tear ducts open up by the time the child is 1 year old.
• Crossed eyes. Often, this problem goes away with no, or early, treatment.
• Swelling and pain inside the eyelids and on the whites of the eyes. This is called conjunctivitis. There are many kinds of conjunctivitis. Pinkeye is one kind. It is an infection. Other infections, chemicals, allergens, or things that get in the eye can also cause conjunctivitis.
• Drooping eyelid over part of the eye. This is called ptosis. It is usually caused by weak nerves in the eye lid. Your child can be born with it. Or it can happen with another muscle problem.
• Sty. This is an infection on the eyelid. It looks like a pimple. Most sties go away with home treatments.
• Vision problems. Here are a few examples:
  • Nearsightedness (can’t see things far away)
  • Farsightedness (can’t see things close up)
  • Astigmatism (blurry vision from an eye that is not shaped right, or from losing an eye)

Diagnosis

Babies and children should have their eyes checked as part of their well child visits with their pediatrician. They will check for vision problems in the child’s developing eyes.

• Starting at age 3, your child should have a visual acuity test. This involves your child looking at details of letters or symbols from a set distance.
• Take your child for another eye exam before he or she starts school.
• Watch for problems at any age. Look for changes in the eyes, eyelids, or the skin around the eyes.

• The eye was injured.
• Something got in the eye and hurt it badly.
• One eye is drooping after your child hurt his or her head.
• Eyes can’t open because the eyelids droop so much.
• There is blood in the pupil of the eye. (The pupil is the dark spot in the middle of the eye.)

• Vision changes, like not seeing things that could be seen before.
• Pain in the eye(s) that lasts longer than 2 days.