Frequent Eye Rubbing in Children may Indicate Entropion – A Vision-Threatening Condition
Eyelashes are the first line of defense for the eyes. When children have symptoms such as blinking constantly, red eyes, rubbing eyes, photophobia or tearing, parents often think that it is just normalEye sensitivityThey may ignore it. In fact, it may be because their eyelid folds push their eyelashes toward the eyeball. These "inverted" eyelashes constantly rub against the eyeball, causing discomfort and even risk of eye damage. Ophthalmologists point out that eyelid folds are quite common in Asian children, affecting approximately one in ten children. Severe cases can cause corneal damage, affect vision, and increase the risk of astigmatism.
Wu Liqi, a volunteer ophthalmologist at Orbis, explained that blepharoplasty is a common eyelid problem, most often affecting the lower eyelid. Because Asian children have flatter noses, the excess muscle and skin on either side can push eyelashes toward the eyeball, causing discomfort. Ingrown eyelashes can even irritate the conjunctiva and cornea at a rate of dozens of times per minute. The larger the ingrown eyelashes, the more severe symptoms such as photophobia and impaired vision can become.
The initial symptoms of ingrown eyelashes in children are not obvious. Furthermore, children often struggle to clearly express their discomfort, so parents often wait until their children experience frequent blinking, rubbing their eyes, and tearing up for a while before bringing them to a doctor. The symptoms of ingrown eyelashes are similar to those of eye allergies. Wu Liqi explains that eye allergies often occur together with nasal allergies and are a reaction to allergens in the environment, including air pollution, renovation pollution, pets, and airborne pollen. "Children will experience itchiness."
Typically, ophthalmologists use corneal fluorescein to determine if the cornea has been scratched by eyelashes. Among children with eyelid folds, 50% to 70% experience astigmatism of 50 degrees, 14% to 33% experience astigmatism exceeding 200 degrees, and 10% develop amblyopia as a result. Wu Liqi explained that the first eight years of a child's vision development are golden years. Rubbing the eyes or having excess skin pressing against the lower eyelid can cause corneal deformation and astigmatism. If not treated or controlled promptly, this can even affect brain and vision development, ultimately leading to amblyopia.
Most patients first seek medical attention at the age of three or four. If the condition is mild, artificial tears can be used to relieve discomfort. As children age and their facial bones develop, the condition may improve naturally. However, if the condition persists by the age of six to eight, or if the cornea is severely damaged, minor surgery may be necessary.
Wu Liqi pointed out that this type of surgery carries low risks and a relatively short recovery period, with patients generally able to resume normal activities and attend school the day after surgery. Adults may only require local anesthesia, but children struggle to remain still, so general anesthesia is required. The procedure typically involves making a small incision below the eyelid margin and removing excess skin and muscle. Because the incision is located beneath the eyelashes and is sutured with dissolvable sutures, scarring is minimal, minimizing the impact on appearance.
Orbis, the international organization for the prevention of blindness, launched the "Eye-saving Little Agents" campus campaign in kindergartens across Hong Kong, advocating that students wear sunglasses that block ultraviolet rays when doing outdoor activities.protect eyesight.
