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Recognizing Silent Eye Ailments

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When it comes to their young children, parents can often tell when a child is sick or not feeling his best. Be it coughing, restlessness or crying, typically one or two telltale signs arise indicating that something's not right.

However, in some, cases signs aren't that apparent. This is often problematic when children are very young and aren't able to relay problems to their parents through language. This may be the case with young children experiencing eye problems. Vision problems aren't so easy to detect. Which only emphasizes a parent's need for diligence in looking for certain indicators that a child could be struggling with his vision.

Astigmatism: Astigmatism is essentially a fancy word describing an eye that is out of focus for both near and distant vision. Focus is distorted because the cornea, the clear dome covering the front of the eye, is not perfectly round. Instead, the curvature is different in one direction, creating a loss of focus in certain directions. For example, a person with astigmatism might be able to read a street sign horizontally, but would not be able to read the same sign at equal distance if the sign was vertical.

Headaches, eye strain and squinting are indicators of astigmatism. In certain cases, astigmatism is not problematic. However, when astigmatism is an issue, children could begin to ignore the affected eye and rely solely on the fully functioning eye. The degree of astigmatism in infants often decreases in the first year or two of life, so parents needn't worry too much. If detected early, chances are children will be prescribed eyeglasses that should alleviate the problem.

Blepharitis: Blepharitis refers to an inflammation of the edge of the eyelid, resulting in a burning or stinging sensation and possibly an itch. Parents often mistake blepharitis with allergies because children typically rub their eyes frequently and, in advanced cases, might have redness on the internal edge of the eyelids.

Blepharitis typically proves very irritating to children and, because rubbing their eyes is a common result, they might develop other inflammatory problems such as a stye. If a child has blepharitis, gently clean the eyelids and eyelashes to eliminate bacteria and debris. Also, apply a warm washcloth to the eyes for 5 minutes, three times per day. Heat will improve blood flow and help relieve the inflammation.

Stye: A stye is a bacterial infection that occurs near the edge of the eyelid. Styes are not common in adults because adults are generally more inclined to clean their eyelids and eyelashes and are therefore less susceptible to bacterial infections. Children, however, are not always so diligent. An external stye will infect an oil gland near the edge of the eyelid, while an internal stye begins deep in the eyelid and extends out to the edge. Antibiotics might be necessary to treat a stye and, similar to treating blepharitis, parents should apply a warm washcloth with soap specifically designed for eyelids for 5 minutes 3 times per day.



Copyright 2009 The Meriwether Vindicator, Greenville, Georgia. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2009 The Meriwether Vindicator Greenville, Georgia. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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