Glaucoma is one condition in which there is an increase in the normal pressure of the fluid inside the eye (IOP or intraocular pressure). Glaucoma symptoms in children and babies can also occur. In this article, there is a brief discussion on the symptoms of glaucoma in children and babies. Let us examine them.
Glaucoma symptoms in children and babies
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Large eyes:
The sclera (outer coat) of a kid’s eye is more flexible and much softer that those of adults. Thus, if the pressure inside the eye increases, the eye expands and looks like balloon being blown up. This is known as Buphthalmos (childhood glaucoma0 and this enlarged size is one among the best indications of a raised eye pressure in a kid.
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Sensitive to light:
Kids with raised intraocular pressure frequently become sensitive to light. This is another symptoms of glaucoma in babies and children but can also occur due to other causes.
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Cloudy eyes:
The eye cornea have little cells on the inner-side which helps to pump the aqueous humour out from the cornea and keeping it clear. Due to a rise in the IOP, aqueous humour is been pushed inside the cornea, thus making it cloudy and waterlogged. Suppose, if there is an expansion of the cornea, then small cracks can occur on inner side of the cornea, which might cause partial clouding. This clouding clears up once there is a reduction in the pressure but this might sometimes even take several months or even more.
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Watering eyes:
Watering in the eyes ia a natural immune response to any type of irritation inside the eyes or even on or inside the body If the pressure in the eyes is high, if there is some swelling of cornea and if there is a glare from lights, then the natural response would be the watering eyes. This needs to improved when the eye pressure is controlled.
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Jerky eyes and poor vision:
Occasionally, if the increased pressure inside the eye had caused pressure on the nerve of the optic or clouding of the eye cornea, vision might be poor than the usual. They may even have slightly jerky movements in the eye. But, after the treatment, most of all these symptoms improve.
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Squint (strabismus):
In some kids, the eye with poor vision might be seems to have an eye turns inwards towards their nose or in some kids it may be outwards.
The above listed are some of the glaucoma symptoms in children and babies. If you notice any of these symptoms in your baby or kid, then immediately consult your eye specialists for an early and better cure.
