Eyes are considered the most sensitive part of the human body, so you are very susceptible to eye problems if you do not take good care of your eyes. In fact, children are considered to be the group of subjects susceptible to eye diseases. So what are the common eye diseases in children?

Research statistics show that the rate of children with eye diseases is increasing today. Join Long Chau Pharmacy to learn about common eye diseases in children and measures to prevent eye diseases in children as well as how to care for newborns in the article below.

Common eye diseases in children

Children can suffer from eye diseases when they are born or while growing up. If not treated early, these diseases will greatly affect the daily life of children. So what are the common eye diseases in children?

Refractive errors

In children, the visual organs are not fully developed in both structure and physiology. Therefore, too much exposure to electronic devices will cause the eyes to concentrate, leading to stress. If this condition is not controlled and relaxed, children will be at high risk of refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. In which:

• Myopia is the most common medical condition. When nearsighted, children can see objects very clearly at close range but not at distance.
• Farsightedness is a condition in which children can see clearly at a distance than at close range. Young children often have mild farsightedness, but this condition will gradually improve as their eyes develop fully.
• Astigmatism is a condition in which both near and far vision of the child are impaired, or in other words, when looking at objects at both distances, the child has blurred vision. This refractive error often occurs at the same time as nearsightedness or farsightedness.

Myopia is one of the common eye diseases in children.

Strabismus

Strabismus is also one of the common eye diseases in children, occurring when there is a disorder in the activity of the eye muscles. When suffering from strabismus, the visual axis of the two eyes in children will be deviated when looking at the same object or in other words, the two eyes are not symmetrical when looking straight.

Amblyopia

Whenever mentioning eye diseases in children, it is impossible not to mention amblyopia. This is a condition in which the vision of one or both eyes does not develop normally. For some reason, the brain does not recognize the entire image transmitted by the eye, causing the eye to weaken and possibly leading to a series of long-term vision problems.

When suffering from amblyopia, children will have symptoms such as frequent eye rubbing, closing one eye, tilting the head, squinting, difficulty concentrating and paying attention, difficulty learning, daily activities…

Eye infections

Children often have some eye infections such as:

• Trachoma: This is an eye infection caused by the bacteria Chlamydia Trachomatis. When suffering from trachoma, children will have symptoms such as itching, irritation of the eyes and eyelids, discharge from the eyes… This condition can be treated, but if not treated properly or delayed, it can lead to blindness.
• Pink eye: Not only children but anyone is at risk of experiencing this condition at any time of the year. This disease is caused by bacteria and viruses, with typical symptoms such as eye swelling, red eyes, subconjunctival bleeding, etc.
• Allergic conjunctivitis: Allergic conjunctivitis is a condition in which the conjunctiva of the eye is irritated, with symptoms such as severe eye itching, a feeling of foreign objects in the eye, watery eyes, etc. Although it is not contagious, treatment is extremely necessary. If the disease is prolonged, it can lead to refractive errors, of which astigmatism is the main one.

Children are very susceptible to eye infections.

Congenital glaucoma

In essence, the child’s sclera is highly elastic, so when the pressure in the eye increases, it will cause the eye to bulge. At this time, the cornea is larger than normal, the child shows signs of watery eyes, fear of light… When the cornea bulges, it will continue to appear folds and over time, the cornea will become swollen and cloudy. If not treated promptly, congenital glaucoma can progress severely and cause blindness.

Congenital ptosis

You may not know, congenital ptosis is also one of the common eye diseases in children. This condition comes from the weakness of the eyelid levator muscle, causing the upper eyelid to droop. At this time, light transmitted to the retina at the back of the eye is blocked, causing blurred vision. If left untreated, congenital ptosis can lead to amblyopia, even permanent vision loss.

What to do when your child shows signs of suspected eye disease?

As you know, eye diseases have a significant impact on learning, daily activities and life. Therefore, early detection and timely treatment of eye diseases in children is extremely necessary to avoid dangerous complications when the disease progresses.

Accordingly, ophthalmologists recommend that as soon as children show abnormal signs of eye problems such as eye pain, squinting, or watery eyes, instead of arbitrarily buying medicine and eye drops for children, parents should take their children to reputable eye medical facilities for examination.

Here, doctors will conduct an examination and prescribe additional visual function tests for children to accurately assess the condition they are experiencing and provide appropriate treatment (if necessary).

Parents should take their children to see a doctor when they notice unusual signs in the eyes.

Measures to prevent eye diseases in children

Currently, the rate of children suffering from eye diseases is increasing. Therefore, to prevent eye diseases in children, parents can refer to some of the following measures:

• Increase the addition of foods that are good for eye health such as carrots, tomatoes, gac fruit, etc. to the child’s daily menu.
• Ensure that children have a well-lit learning environment, remind them not to let them read books too close or look at electronic screens for too long. After a period of studying and working, parents need to instruct children on how to help their eyes rest and relax.
• Protect eyes and lips when going out by using a hat or having children use sunglasses to protect their eyes from UV rays from sunlight and dust.
• Take children for regular eye exams every 6 months.

Supplementing foods that are good for the eyes is an effective way to prevent common eye diseases in children.

Above is all the basic information about common eye diseases in children. Hopefully with today’s sharing, parents will understand common eye diseases in children and know how to prevent eye diseases.