CHILDREN'S EYE DISEASES

Most children have healthy, normal eyes, but a few are born with serious eye diseases or disorders, some of which may not be obvious.

In most cases, these problems can be identified—and treated—even during the first few days of life. But without
early intervention, usually before the age of five, a child with an untreated eye problem may suffer from serious vision loss, or even blindness.

WHAT SYMPTOMS CAUSE THESE DISEASES AND WHAT CAN WE DO?

Convergent squint and glasses in children, information
Amblyopia (lazy eye) information
Estropia information
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Understanding nystagmus information
Squints - parent information leaflet
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BLOCKED TEAR DUCTS IN CHILDREN

blocked tear ducts

 

What are blocked tear ducts?

Children can be born with a blocked nasolacrimal system which is the system which takes tears that are produced in the eye and drains them in to the nose.

What are the symptoms?

Children normally have a watery eye from birth, it can be one or both eyes.  As well as constantly watering the eyes are often sticky with a yellowish green discharge. This requires cleaning every morning and on occasions during the day.

If severe, the tears that fall over the bottom eyelid can cause redness and irritation of the skin of the cheek but in most cases children are not particularly bothered by a watery eye or discharge. 

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CONVERGENT SQUINTS AND GLASSES IN CHILDREN

convergent squints image

 

 

What is a squint?

A squint is a condition of the eyes where there is an imbalance of muscles such that the eyes do not face in the same direction.  In children under the age of three, the most common squint is a convergent squint where the eyes turn together.

What causes a squint?

A squint can be caused in three ways; an imbalance of muscles, a need for glasses and a combination of both of these.

In some children there is an imbalance of muscle strength with the inside muscles (medial recti muscles) being stronger than the outside muscles (lateral recti muscles). This causes both eyes to be turned in but at any one time, your child will look straight ahead with the better of his/her eyes. If this situation continues, your child will become dependent on the eye that is looking straight ahead and the eye that is squinting (turning in) can become weaker. This has previously been called a lazy eye although I don’t like to use this term as this implies some blame or laziness on behalf of either the child or his/her parents. 

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FULLY ACCOMODATIVE ESTROPIA

 

 

Fully accommodative esotropia is the proper term for a convergent squint that is completely controlled with glasses.  In this situation your child will wear glasses and his/her eyes will be straight but when he/she takes the glasses off their eyes will turn together. Sometimes the glasses are required just to correct the squint but most often they are also used to improve vision and the majority of children wearing glasses from the age of three is not a big issue.  Without the glasses on the squint will be noticeable. This will occur at times when the glasses are removed such as outdoor play or going to bed.  It will also be seen when your child goes swimming although wearing a prescription pair of goggles will help to keep the eyes straight.

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AMBLYOPIA (LAZY EYE)

amblyopia example

 

 

Amblyopia is cortical blindness in that although the eye itself is healthy the connections between the eye and the brain have not developed properly and consequently the brain ignores the images to a greater or lesser degree coming from that eye.

It is possible to have bilateral amblyopia if a child is very long sighted such that the visual potential for the eyes is reduced compared to normal children. This can also happen in children who are very short sighted (myopic).

What causes amblyopia? There are three broad courses for amblyopia (lazy eye);

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