Blinking Eyes in Children

You might have observed excessive blinking eyes in children. Although, this is usually not something you should be worried about. Instead of making it difficult for your children, you should help them and try to know if they are experiencing any difficulties that may present as excessive blinking.

There are many common reasons as to why blinking eyes in children may be occurring and reoccurring. Dryness, foreign body’s deflection towards eyes and sharp light are few reasons of excessive blinking.

Doctors consider excessive blinking in children if the blinking rate exceeds somewhere above 14 blinks to 17 blinks per minute. In vast majority of cases, this problem can be resolved by simple over-the-counter (topical) medical treatments, but if the situation doesn’t improve, oral medications can be taken according to the recommendations of American Academy of Pediatrics' Healthy Children.org.

Causes of Excessive Blinking Eyes in Children

Cause	Description
Tics	Spasms caused by muscles are called tics. These movements are involuntary and cannot be controlled. Some children get facial spasms that may involve excessive blinking of eyes. This condition is more frequent in childhood and salient pathophysiological factors include anxiety or fear, side effects of medicines or “chronic motor disorder” that may trigger tics. Another reason may be Tourette’s syndrome that is usually reported in pediatric aged children (3 years to 10 years of age). Although, this condition resolves spontaneously over time, it is usually recommended to seek expert’s opinion as well.
Nearsightedness	Nearsightedness or myopia is a condition in which children can only see those objects that are nearby. It has been observed that such children complain of having watery eyes, headaches, blurry visions and yet again, excessive blinking. A thorough eye checkup is recommended all such cases to initiate appropriate therapy.
Blepharitis	Another cause of excessive blinking is blepharitis, an infection caused by bacteria or dandruff. The key manifestations of blepharitis are swelling, itching and tenderness on the eyelids in addition to irritation, scaliness and redness. Frequent washing of face and warm compress can help in early resolution of blepharitis.
Eye strain	Most common reason for excessive blinking is eye strain. As children these days watch television and use computers and other gadgets for long hours, it is very common that they experience eye strain. Other problems that usually come hand in hand with eye strain are redness of eyes, watery eyes, head and back aches and in severe cases even blurring of vision. It is important that parents keep a check on children that they do not read or watch television in dim lights or no lights respectively to avoid visual strain or changes.
Dry eyes	Children who live in areas or regions that are dry may suffer from excessive blinking. Continuous blinking may make your child feel a little better or this may be your child’s way rehydrating his eyes, as one may call it. This may also happen if your child is receiving direct air from the fan. Artificial tear drops may help in such situation. Also, humidifiers help in soothing dry eyes.
Allergies	Allergies can also cause excessive blinking. If continuous blinking comes with irritation, itchiness or redness then, in most cases, it is due to different allergies.
Tourette Syndrome and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder	As discussed before, Tourette’s Syndrome can be one of rare reasons of excessive blinking. This disorder occurs between three to ten years and is generally noticeable when a child is aged around seven years. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) also triggers involuntary tic and blinking.

Treatment for Excessive Blinking Eyes in Children

It is advised that parents consult doctors for this purpose. This is not a serious issue, but ophthalmologists will be able to guide better by suggesting tiny things such as spectacles, tear drops or other medicines that will make big changes and will be able to cure your child.

1. Treatment for Tics

If it is medically determined that excessive blinking is due to muscle spasms or tics, then no pharmacological intervention is needed in most cases. Muscle spasms resolve spontaneously (in fact no other diagnostic tools such as brain scans are needed) since tics do not involve neurological tissue. Healthcare providers believe that tics are a consequence of fear, fatigue, anxiety or even boredom.

2. Treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder also triggers excessive blinking and tics. For controlling or treating this problem, physicians often prescribe different stimulants. If this condition gets extremely out of hands then physicians may prescribe combinations of different stimulants and sometimes patients are even treated with antidepressants or other medicines.

How Can You Help Your Child?

Following are a few ways you can help blinking eyes in children:

Your child needs to relax and most importantly, your child needs to make sure his self-esteem and confidence is intact.
It is very important that your child has a light routine and that he is not burdened with stressful activities one after another.
Make sure you do not drain the confidence out of your child intentionally or unintentionally. Praise your child and encourage him to do things he likes.
Another thing that parents can do is keep track of when exactly the excessive blinking or tics take place. This can be done through keeping a diary secretively. Also, note the events taking place before and after that particular time. Has your child gone through anything that made him nervous? Was his behavior particularly due to something he was not anticipating or was scared of? In general, you should try to nag your child less about everyday chores, grades or habits and encourage the positivity in him.
Ignore when your child is experiencing facial spasms. Try not to show him you are noticing what is going on and try not to stare or make comments about it. It will only make matters worse as this condition is involuntary and may prevail even prominently if it is pointed out. It is absolutely vital that siblings, teachers, relatives and other near-by people be cooperative if a child has this condition.
Whether the condition is occurring or not, make sure you and surrounding people do not talk about it. If your child brings up the topic, always say something positive and reassuring.

When to Be Concerned