Blinking, a normal involuntary reflex, occurs, on average, 12 times per minute or 17,000 times a day, Professor Alan Hedge of Cornell University states. Sometimes children begin blinking so frequently it seems that they're blinking 17,000 times a minute, rather than a day. Parents often get concerned over the causes of rapid eye blinking, but most blinking is benign and self-limiting, according to a 2001 study reported by lead author David Coats of Baylor College of Medicine in the journal "Ophthalmology."
Causes
Causes for frequent blinking vary greatly. Frequent blinking can occur because a child has visual problems such as convergence insufficiency, which is trouble focusing both eyes on an up-close object. Double or blurred vision caused by convergence insufficiency can lead to excessive blinking, Baylor College of Medicine explains. Problems with the eyelids or the anterior segment of the eye, which consists of the cornea, iris, anterior chamber and lens, accounted for 37 percent of excessive blinking, Coats reported in the 2001 "Ophthalmology" study. Uncorrected refractive errors caused 14 percent of cases, he added.
Habit tics accounted for 23 percent of excessive blinking in Coats' report. Tics may also occur in children with Tourette's syndrome, a type of tic disorder that usually begins between ages 3 and 10, Family doctor.org reports. Movement disorders, called dystonias, can also cause excessive blinking, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke reports. Allergic reactions can also cause excessive blinking, pediatrician Jeffrey Hull states. Rapid eye blinking may also occur as part of epilepsy, notes the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
Characteristics
In 89 percent of children with excessive blinking, both eyes are affected. Boys with excessive blinking outnumber girls two to one, Coats reported.
Diagnosis
History and clinical examination are usually adequate to make a diagnosis, Coats says, with neurological examination and neuroimaging usually not being required.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the cause. Tics often require nothing more than ignoring the symptoms until they disappear, Hull advises. Medications may help relieve specific symptoms of Tourette's. Correcting refractive errors and vision problems helps stop blinking caused by trouble seeing. Anticonvulsants are used to treat epilepsy. Dystonias may also respond to medications such as anticonvulsants as well as drugs that correct neurotransmitter abnormalities.
Considerations
Excessive blinking rarely causes serious problems and often resolves without treatment. Blepharospasm, a type of dystonia that causes first one eye and then both, in most cases, to close forcefully and repeatedly, can cause functional blindness even though both eyes see normally, by causing the eyelids to eventually remain completely closed, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke warns. Conditions such as epilepsy and dystonia require close medical evaluation and follow-up.
References
- FamilyDoctor.org: Tics and Tourette's Syndrome
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Dystonias
- "Ophthalmology"; Excessive Blinking in Childhood; David Coats; September 2001
- Baylor College of Medicine: Early Elementary-Age Schoolchildren Should be Monitored for Vision Problems
- Cornell University: Vision and Light
