
Excessive flickering in children
28 April 2020
It is important to consult your pediatrician or ophthalmologist if your child blinks more than normal, in rare cases excessive blinking can be a sign of a neurological problem or could lead to loss of vision.
A study in children under the age of 16 showed four common causes of excessive blinking:
- Problems in the cornea, the front part of the eye. These include dry eye, embedded eyelashes or foreign body in the eye, abrasion on the cornea, eye allergies or conjunctivitis.
- Tics (repetitive and involuntary body movements)
- Uncorrected refractive errors: poor near vision (nearsightedness), poor distance vision (farsightedness), or astigmatism.
- Strabismus. It occurs when the eyes are not aligned correctly and are facing different directions.
How is excessive blinking diagnosed?
Through an eye exam, your eye doctor will find out what excessive blinking is causing in your child.