Children frequently rubbing their eyes should raise suspicion of epicanthal folds damaging vision.
Eyelashes are the eyes' first line of defense. When children exhibit symptoms such as frequent blinking, red eyes, rubbing their eyes, photophobia, or tearing, parents often assume it's just a common problem.Eye sensitivityThey often ignore it. But in fact, it may be because epicanthal folds push eyelashes towards the eyeball. These "inverted" eyelashes constantly rub against the eyeball, causing discomfort and even posing a risk of eye damage. Ophthalmologists point out that epicanthal folds are quite common in Asian children, with about one in ten children having this condition. In severe cases, it can lead to corneal damage, affecting vision, and also increasing the chance of astigmatism.
Orbis volunteer ophthalmologist Wu Li-chi stated that epicanthal folds are a common eyelid problem, mostly occurring on the lower eyelid. Because Asian children tend to have flatter nasal bridges, excess muscle and skin on either side of the nasal bridge can push eyelashes towards the eyeball, causing discomfort. Ingrown eyelashes can even irritate the conjunctiva and cornea at a frequency of tens of times per minute, and the larger the area of ingrown eyelashes, the more severe the symptoms such as photophobia or vision impairment will be.
The initial symptoms of ingrown eyelashes in children are not obvious, and because young children have difficulty clearly expressing their discomfort, parents often only take them to see a doctor after the child has been blinking, rubbing their eyes, and tearing frequently for a period of time. The symptoms of ingrown eyelashes are similar to those of allergic eyes, Wu Liqi explained. Allergic eyes often occur together with allergic noses, and are a reaction to allergens in the environment, including air pollution,装修污染 (renovation pollution), pets, and pollen. "Children will feel itchy."
Generally, ophthalmologists use corneal fluorescence agents to determine if the cornea has been scratched by eyelashes. Among children with epicanthal folds, 50% to 70% will have astigmatism of 50 degrees, and 14% to 33% will have astigmatism exceeding 200 degrees. Furthermore, 10% of these children will develop amblyopia as a result. Wu Liqi explained that the period before age eight is the golden age for children's visual development. Rubbing the eyes or having excess skin pressing against the lower eyelid can cause corneal deformation and astigmatism. If not treated or controlled in time, it can even affect brain and visual development, ultimately leading to amblyopia.
Patients typically seek initial treatment around three or four years old. If the condition is mild, artificial tears can be used to relieve discomfort. As children grow older and their facial bones develop, the condition may improve naturally. However, if the condition does not improve by age six to eight, or if the cornea is severely damaged, minor surgical treatment may be necessary.
Wu Liqi pointed out that this type of surgery has a low risk and a relatively short recovery period; patients can generally resume normal activities and go to school the day after surgery. Adults may only require local anesthesia, but children have difficulty staying still, so general anesthesia is necessary. The common procedure involves making a small incision below the eyelid margin to remove excess skin and muscle. Because the incision is located below the eyelashes and is sutured with dissolvable surgical sutures, it is unlikely to leave a scar and has little impact on appearance.
Orbis, the international organization for the prevention of blindness, launched the "Little Eye Care Agents" program in kindergartens throughout Hong Kong, advocating that students wear sunglasses that block ultraviolet rays during outdoor activities.Protect eyesight。
