Why does my child blink so much?!

It can be alarming when your child blinks excessively and does not seem to be able to stop even when asked to.

Sometimes the cause can be found in the eye and occasionally it can be a sign of a neurological problem or even a tic.

Some children with eye allergies not only rub their eyes but may also blink a lot. It can also be that the child’s eyes are dry due to excessive staring at gadgets or the child has engaged in prolonged near work including reading in an airconditioned or dry environment. Some children may have accidentally scratched their cornea. In such children the blinking maybe associated with watering. Children who have an eye infection or ‘pink eye’ may also blink a lot.

Children who have a refractive error that has not been detected and rarely a child with an ocular misalignment (squint) may also present with frequent blinking. Habitual tics are another important cause of blinking excessively and such children may have tics of the face in addition to the eyes. Habitual tics suggest that there may be some anxiety, poor sleep, stress or tiredness that is causing the tics.

All children who have persistently excessive blinking need to be examined by an ophthalmologist. The ophthalmologist will be able to do a complete eye exam including tests for need of spectacles, present of a squint, and also look for signs of dry eyes and allergies which are the commonest causes.

With simple treatments the blinking should settle down.