Dry eyes occur in kids and teens due to different reasons of course. Although, it makes them feel uncomfortable when their eyes feel stretched out. Moreover, dry eye syndrome leads to a gritty, and sandy sensation after the kids wake up, making the sensation worse by the end of the day. Dry eyes can also lead to blurry vision in your child, but they don’t have long-lasting problems with vision.
Some of the common causes of getting dry eyes are smoke, dry weather, or pollution affecting the eyes. Any other kind of allergies or teens wearing contact lenses could also trigger and irritate the eyes. You can seek help from an ophthalmologist to figure out the actual reason if your child has got dry eyes.
Causes of Dry Eyes in Children
Kids with dry eye symptoms can find difficulty performing their routine activities such as playing, reading, or using a computer. The eyes may feel itchy, burning, and irritated with constant blinking throughout the day. It may also interfere with their ability to focus in the classroom. Here’s a list of reasons why your child might have caught up with dry eyes:
- Extreme allergy caused by dryness or with the use of aggressive antihistamine
- Wearing contact lens
- Conjunctivitis (pink eye) may trigger dry eye
- Deficiency in nutrition
- Extended exposure to digital devices such as smartphones or laptops
Symptoms of Dry Eyes in Children
Kids may not communicate easily about their issues with their eyes in a proper way. You, as a parent, must look at the signs and symptoms where the child is persistently rubbing the eyes. Also, parents should keep a tab on their kids constantly while reading or sensing any kind of changes in their behavior.
Here are some common symptoms of dry eyes in children:
- Recurrent blinking of eyes
- Redness near the eyes
- Constant rubbing of eyes
- Looking away from the light source
- Itchy or burning sensation around or in the eyes
- Having blurred vision
- Issues with clearly reading, or watching digital devices such as laptops or smartphones
- Unable to visually focus
Treatment of Dry Eyes in Children at Home
Those who seek medical help to treat dry eyes will be advisable by doctors to use artificial tears. This helps reduce the symptoms associated with dry eyes. Here’s what you can do at home apart from consulting your doctor to relieve dry eye syndrome.
Ways to help your child deal with Dry Eyes:
- Save your child from pollution, smoke, and other irritating aspects that could trigger the condition.
- Make your child wear sunglasses while keeping the eyes covered from all sides. Ensure your kids wear proper caps or use umbrellas while being out under the sun and pollution.
- Have a humidifier in your kid’s room, close to the bed. Regularly clean the device as per instructions mentioned on the product.
- Avoid using fans while the child sleeps.
- Always consult the healthcare expert before treating dry eyes at home with medicine. Always give your child only prescribed medicines.
- See an ophthalmologist if the kid is suffering from worsening symptoms.
- Your child can use artificial tear drops at least 4 times a day or as prescribed by the doctor.
- Place a clean, moist, and warm cloth every morning on your child’s eyelids for at least five minutes. Give a gentle massage to the eyelids with soft hands. This can help increase the original wetness of the eyes.
