A pediatric eye disease is any disease of the eyes that affects infants, babies and children. Pediatric eye diseases vary and have many types of symptoms. These diseases can range from harmless to life threatening. Conversely, the treatments for them run from an eyeglass prescription to surgery.
The Eye
Your child's eyes are the organs that facilitate sight, an important tool that helps him understand the world around him. Light enters his eye through the hole in the middle called the pupil, and reaches a light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye called the retina. The retina then creates electrical impulses that travel along the optical nerve to the brain. Inside the brain, these impulses are translated into images. Although the eye is not a vital organ, we use our eyes in nearly every activity we do, including driving, reading and working.
Pediatric Eye Diseases
Infants and babies typically have limited contact with the outside world, so the eye diseases that are common to them are most likely genetic or caused by bacteria. There are far too many pediatric eye diseases to list here, but some of the more common ones are lazy eyes, sties or cysts. There are also refractive errors, where light does not refract into the retina correctly. Xerophthalmia, abnormal dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea of the eyes. can lead to corneal ulcers. There is also dacryocystitis, which is the obstruction of the passage of tears from the eyes and occurs most often in the first six months of life.
Symptoms
Spotting the symptoms of pediatric eye diseases is a little harder than with adults because children may not be able to tell you about the problems they are having with their eyesight. Symptoms include swelling or drooping of your child's eyelid. Excessive tearing, redness or discharge are also common symptoms. If your child's pupil appears white, has a defect or is different in size from the other one, that could also be a sign of pediatric eye disease.
Treatment
If you notice strange symptoms in your child's eyes, you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Symptoms like white in the pupil of the eye or enlarged corneas can indicate serious eye conditions. Treatment of a pediatric eye disease depends on the particular disease. Some diseases, like nearsightedness, can be treated with prescription eyeglasses. There are others that may require corrective surgery, including cataracts. Sties and other conditions that are caused by infection are generally treated through prescription antibiotics.
Prevention
To prevent many pediatric eye diseases, you must take care of your child's eyes. Keep them clean and free of debris. You should also keep your child's hands clean because dirt from them can get in their eyes, causing infection. Properly clipped fingernails will also prevent children from scratching their eyes and causing injury. You should also keep sharp objects from your child so that there is less chance of him hurting his eyes with it. As a final precaution, be sure to get regular eye checkups for your child so that any genetic conditions that may emerge can be properly diagnosed and treated early.
Tags: your child, child eyes, pediatric disease, your child that, also keep, child that