Childhood pathologies

Lazy eye and strabismus

The child’s visual system at birth has yet to develop. They need both eyes to receive a similar amount of input in order to develop fully the area of the brain responsible for vision. If for any reason a visual disorder develops in either of them, it occurs so-called lazy eye or amblyopia.

The lazy eye consists of the involuntary and subtle deviation of one of the eyes. It is important that the child go to the ophthalmologist for an eye exam before the age of three, and even more if the family history has lazy eyes.

If the child does not go to the ophthalmologist for several years, they will not develop vision in one of the eyes.

Lacrimal pathology

Constant weaping can be due to increased tear production or, more commonly, poor tear drainage. The main causes are aging, the use of some medications such as chronic eye drops, chemotherapy or radiation therapy in this area, congenital causes, trauma and burns in this area, and palpebral deformities. It has several symptoms:

  • Vision blurred because of the tear film.
  • Feeling of wet eyes.
  • Constant tearing, which increases in adverse conditions (wind, air conditioning, heating, etc.).
  • Repetitive conjunctivitis (several times a year).
  • Infection of the eye sac with fever, pain and inflammation.

Treatment depends on each patient. Therefore, it is recommended to visit the ophthalmologist to assess the case.

Conjunctivitis

It is caused for several reasons: allergic, traumatic, or infectious (viral or bacterial). There are other causes such as chemical irritation due to a product that has been placed in the eye, or even a mechanical type due to “twisted” eyelids: scraping the eyelashes are permanently touching the conjunctiva.

It can be contagious if it is infectious. In this case, it is usually accompanied by constant tearing, discomfort, and redness of the eye. Sometimes it is due to mucus, light intolerance and discharge from sticky eyelashes.

Hygiene is important (wash your hands, change towels daily, clean the eye with serum, etc.), as in extreme and advanced cases the vision of the affected eye can be lost if the conjunctivitis is infectious. Therefore, if you have red eyes or symptoms, you should consult a specialist to assess the possibility and need for treatment