Do your eyes go wild twitching hysterically every now and then, or do you find yourself blinking really hard when in stress? Blinking is a voluntary eye action that not only protects the eye from external irritants but also keeps the eye on tears almost every time, though literally. A normal human being bats his eye for almost 15,000 times in a day, which is the average count for normal eye blinks.

If you notice your child blinking more often than you feel is normal, don’t bring attention to it at first, because this may cause her to blink even more excessively. While a doctor should evaluate excessive blinking, especially if it is accompanied by burning, itching, vision problems or other bothersome symptoms, most of the time the cause is benign and resolves on its own.

What Causes Excessive Blinking In Children:

Some of the common causes of excessive blinking in children are

• Infection in eyes such as viral conjunctivitis.
• Dry eye.
• Refractory error in children.
• Eye allergies.
• Foreign particle in the eye.
• Swelling of eyelid.
• Tourettes syndrome.
• Anxiety in children can also lead to excessive blinking.

How to Stop Excessive Blinking in Children:

• Observe your child and take notes on when he blinks excessively, along with any other symptoms that you can see. Write down whether it seems to happen at a certain time of day, as well as whether he also rubs his eyes, squints or makes other uncontrollable movements. The Optometrist’s Network website also suggests observing your child while he reads to see if he holds the book closer or farther away than expected.
• Ask your child if her eyes itch, hurt or sting. If she complains of headaches or vision disturbances, add these to your list of symptoms. If she is school-aged, ask her whether she can see the blackboard well enough.
• Take your child to the eye doctor for an examination. According to Pediatric Ophthalmology, a complete vision exam can rule out or confirm disorders such as Tourettes syndrome, a seizure disorder, vision problems or other medical issues that may cause excessive blinking. Less serious issues that may cause blinking include eyelid inflammation or allergies. Treat any vision or health problems with the help of your child’s physician.
• Avoid talking about your child’s excessive blinking if no medical issues are found. If your child simply is experiencing a tic, the less attention given to the problem will help it resolve with a minimum of stress for your child, says Pediatric Ophthalmology. Most tics go away on their own within a year.
• Try to relax your child by storytelling, playing with him if the reason behind excessive blinking is anxiety.
• Give him food containing zinc. Green vegetables, carrots and fruits will provide necessary natural zinc supplement.
• Carrot and beetroot juice mixed with Indian gooseberry juice is good for eye sight. It contains Vitamin A, C etc.
• Consult an ophthalmologist if the child’s eye is red, itchy and swollen, and if the blinking is continuous for a long duration.