A look at common eye problems

Regular eye exams are important for early detection of problems.

Nearsightedness Alternative names: myopia

Definition: An error of visual focusing that causes difficulty seeing distant objects.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors: With this disorder, near objects are seen clearly, while objects in the distance are blurred. This is the result of the visual image being focused in front of the retina rather than directly on it. It may be caused from the eyeball being too long from front to back, or from the lens power being too strong. Nearsightedness often develops in the school-aged child and through the early 20s after which it usually stabilises. Until that time, it may develop rapidly and require frequent changes in glasses or contact lenses. It affects males and females equally, and family history of nearsightedness is a risk factor.

Prevention: There is no known prevention.

Symptoms:

blurred vision of distant objects
squinting
eyestrain
headaches

Signs and tests: A general eye examination or standard ophthalmic exam may include:
visual acuity
refraction test
colour blindness
muscle integrity tests
slit-lamp exam
retinal examination

Treatment: Nearsighted-ness is easily compensated by the use of eyeglasses or contact lenses. Radial keratotomy is a surgical procedure that may improve or correct nearsightedness in some people.

Expectations (prognosis): If nearsightedness is not detected and treated early, it can have social, emotional, and educational consequences for a child

Complications:

complications associated with the use of contact lenses (possible corneal ulcers and infections)

complications of radial keratotomy, including failure of the surgery to correct the vision, pain, and corneal ulcers and infections.

Calling your health care provider: Call for an appointment with an ophthalmologist if your child seems to be having a vision problem, such as sitting close to television, holding books very close when reading or seeming to be unaware of distant objects.

Conjunctivitis (Pinkeye)

Signs and Symptoms: Commonly known as 'pinkeye' because of the inflamed tissues that are seen when the eyelid is pulled back, conjunctivitis is the most common infectious disease of the eye that affects children. Although most types of conjunctivitis are contagious, it usually causes no danger to the eye or to your child's vision.

The first symptom of conjunctivitis is discomfort in the eye, followed by redness and inflammation of the conjunctiva, the tissue covering the eye and inner surface of the eyelids. There is some pain associated with conjunctivitis, but your child may complain mostly of discomfort that is not relieved by rubbing or the sensation of something in the eye.

After a day or so of these symptoms, a white, yellow, or green discharge from the eyes may be present. In bacterial conjunctivitis, the discharge will be somewhat thick. In viral conjunctivitis, the discharge may be thinner. Ear infections also occur in some children diagnosed with bacterial conjunctivitis because similar bacteria can cause both infections. If your child is diagnosed with infectious conjunctivitis, you may want to discuss the possibility of ear infections with your child's doctor.

Description: Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva. Conjunctivitis is either infectious (caused by bacteria or viruses), allergic (caused by an allergic reaction), irritant (caused by something in the eye), or chemical (caused by a chemical substance). The most common causes of infectious conjunctivitis usually result in only minor problems, but in rare cases infectious conjunctivitis can cause permanent damage or even blindness, so be sure to follow the direction of your child's doctor.

Infectious conjunctivitis can be caused by either bacteria or viruses, but the most common cause of infectious conjunctivitis is bacteria that normally live in the nose or on the skin. Doctors believe up to 80% of conjunctivitis cases occur because of this type of bacterial infection. The remaining cases are viral. Infectious conjunctivitis is not reportable to health authorities, so it's impossible to know exactly how many cases occur each year.

Prevention: Infectious conjunctivitis is highly contagious. Your child should wash his hands after touching his eyes to help prevent the spread of conjunctivitis. Also, your child should not touch the infected eye and then touch the other eye without washing his hands. You should be sure to wash your own hands very thoroughly after touching your child's eyes, and items like towels, gauze, or cotton balls should be thrown away or laundered in hot water to avoid contamination.

Because of the contagious nature of the infection, it may be nearly impossible to prevent the spread of conjunctivitis among children and adults in the same household.

Incubation: The incubation time for bacterial conjunctivitis is a few days. In viral cases, incubation can be up to a week.

Duration: Bacterial conjunctivitis lasts about a week to 10 days. Viral conjunctivitis can last as long as 2 weeks.

Contagiousness: All types of infectious conjunctivitis are contagious. A child can become infected by touching someone with the disease who has touched the infected eye. Bacterial cases are contagious as soon as symptoms appear. The child will remain contagious for as long as there is a discharge from the eye and until medical treatment begins. Viral conjunctivitis is usually contagious prior to the onset of symptoms and for as long as symptoms last

Professional Treatment: Medical treatment for infectious conjunctivitis consists of prescription antibiotic drops or ointment for most cases. The antibiotic drops are usually used for children and ointment is suggested for babies. The course of treatment is about 1 week and drops are given about four times a day. The ointment treatment is given about two to three times daily, and can blur vision. Generally, the treatment is well tolerated by children but it can be a challenge to get drops into the eyes of squirming children several times a day for a week or more.

Conjunctivitis in newborns may represent a more serious infection requiring prompt evaluation and treatment by a doctor. Your child's doctor will ask questions and investigate causes of conjunctivitis other than bacterial or viral infections.

In most cases, conjunctivitis will often go away by itself without using the prescribed eye drops or ointment, but doctors encourage medical treatment because it decreases the contagious nature of the disease. Some other serious conditions can mimic infectious conjunctivitis, so if your child complains of severe pain, change in eyesight, or sensitivity to light, or does not improve in 4 to 5 days, you should contact your child's doctor.

Home treatment: To make your child comfortable during a bout of conjunctivitis, you can offer cool or warm packs and acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) as directed, if necessary. Parents can also clean the infected eye very carefully with warm water and gauze or cotton balls. This technique can also be used to remove the crusts of dried discharge that may cause the eyelids to be stuck together when the child awakens.

-- Information Courtesy of HealthCentral.com