Children who wink (excessively) need to see a doctor?

Children may experience unintentional blinking and will most likely be normal. However, children often blink their eyes continuously and excessively along with fatigue, restlessness... can be a warning sign related to health. Therefore, taking children to the doctor is something that parents should do.

Normally blinks about 12 times per minute and blinks once every 0.5 seconds. Blinking occurs with involuntary movements that usually occur on either side of the eye due to the sphincter of the pterygium or the sphincter of the anterior cartilage or the brow bone of the eye. When blinking occurs continuously and suddenly for a few seconds or can last for several minutes, blinking can cause the facial muscles to twitch as well.
The wink itself is not entirely unsettling. Because sometimes blinking has positive effects on the body, such as when the eyes have to work for too long and cause fatigue or unexpected effects from the outside environment on the sphincter fibers in the eyelids. Blinking occurs due to muscle contraction. Although the eyes can blink or blink for a very short time, about 1/10th of a second, it has the effect of helping to relieve tension in the eyes, avoid dry eyes and remove dust particles entangled in the eyes...

Some cases related to blinking in children include:
Children blinking often may be due to body fatigue, inadequate sleep. After a sleepless night or signs of persistent insomnia, blinking may occur. Nervous stress: Circumstances that make children suffer from nervous tension, stress can cause unintentional eye twitching or some psychological factors, especially in children from 4 to 7 years old when needed. Parental care can lead to excessive blinking in children. Anemia is debilitating and can also cause blinking in children. Children with eye diseases such as nearsightedness, astigmatism, accommodation fatigue, allergic conjunctivitis, keratitis ... will cause eye fatigue or eye pain and will appear blinking continuously. Blinking babies a lot can be associated with epilepsy and this is also considered one of the types of small seizures or damage to the nerves related to the eyes such as the V, VII, or cranial nerves. may be related to diseases such as corneal ulcers, uveitis, dry eyes or shingles... Cases of children with diseases that cause neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's syndrome, Wilson's syndrome, ... also makes children wink. Due to bad habits such as not wearing protective glasses in the sun, wearing wrong prescription glasses, using computers and phones for too long without giving the eyes rest and relaxation... Children blinking a lot can be caused by bad habits. corneal problems such as dry eyes, entropion, multi-row or foreign eyelashes on the surface of the eyeball, corneal abrasions, allergic conjunctivitis or common conjunctivitis. Therefore, parents need to take their children to the doctor for an accurate diagnosis.

Perform ocular surface examination using a magnified and well-lit microscope to potentially detect damage to the cornea or anterior portion of the eyeball. With strabismus, most of the examination will be simple, but some children have small strabismus, also known as strabismus or strabismus, sometimes appearing or not, the doctor will have to use special tests such as ophthalmic examination to have defects of this condition can be found.

For each certain blinking condition, there will be appropriate treatment:
If there is a foreign body or entropion in the eye, the doctor needs to remove the foreign body, ingrown hairs or hairs from the eye. If your eyes have conjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, or dry eyes, your doctor may order over-the-counter medications or eye drops to help reduce the condition. When a child has a corneal scratch, a bandage can be used to reduce blinking and allow the wound to heal faster. However, the child still has to be applied or dripped with antibiotic ointment or ointment, and lubricated to moisten the surface of the eyeball. If the child has a refractive error that is accompanied by blinking, parents need to take the child to see a doctor to be able to prescribe the right prescription. If your child has strabismus and blinks, a doctor can prescribe prescription glasses to limit this situation, in some cases, the child will need surgery. If your child has habitual blinking, treatment may not be needed in this group, as it may go away on its own after a few months. In some cases, a child may experience severe blinking due to stress or as a side effect of treatment with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHA) medications. Blinking treatment, combined with medication and rest, and psychotherapy, can help reduce blinking and eventually go away.

Children should get enough sleep and sleep time should be made according to the age of the child. In addition, parents need to pay attention to the quality of their children's sleep to help them feel comfortable after each sleep. Children should not use stimulants such as tea, coffee, ... can make the blinking of the child happen with more frequency. Limit children's use of electronic devices such as phones, televisions, computers... because when children look at these screens a lot, their eyes will have to work too much, which also causes a condition. blink. If the child shows signs of anemia or conjunctivitis or diseases related to nerve damage to the V, it is necessary to send the child to active treatment to limit the condition. If children have refractive errors, parents need to have their children have regular eye exams and use glasses as prescribed by the doctor. Habitual or unintentional blinking that recurs at a disease level is usually only physiological. However, if the case of blinking occurs continuously and without stopping accompanied by symptoms related to fatigue, restlessness, panic, then it is time to take the child to the doctor to determine the cause. This situation.
Parents can bring their children to Vinmec Health system for timely examination and treatment. As a key area of ​​Vinmec Health System, Pediatrics Department - Vinmec International General Hospital always brings satisfaction to customers and is highly appreciated by industry experts thanks to the following advantages:
Gathering a team of leading doctors and nurses in pediatrics: including leading experts, highly qualified (professors, associate professors, doctorates, masters), experienced, worked in hospitals as big as Bach Mai, 108.. The doctors are all well-trained, professional, have a mind - range, and understand young psychology. Besides domestic pediatricians, the Department of Pediatrics also has the participation of foreign experts (Japan, Singapore, Australia, USA) who are always pioneers in applying the latest and most effective treatment regimens. . Comprehensive services: In the field of Pediatrics, Vinmec provides a series of continuous medical examination and treatment services from Newborn to Pediatric and Vaccine,... according to international standards to help parents take care of their baby's health from birth to childhood. from birth to adulthood Specialized techniques: Vinmec has successfully deployed many specialized techniques to make the treatment of difficult diseases in Pediatrics more effective: neurosurgery - skull surgery, stem cell transplantation. blood in cancer treatment. Professional care: In addition to understanding children's psychology, Vinmec also pays special attention to the children's play space, helping them to have fun and get used to the hospital's environment, cooperate in treatment, improve the efficiency of medical treatment.