Managing Eye Care for Children with OCD: Tips and Products

As parents, it is our responsibility to ensure that our children maintain their physical and mental health properly. When it comes to overall health and wellbeing, often parents tend to overlook the importance of eye care in children. Eye health is equally important as attending to the mental well-being of our children.

Children with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) require extra attention when it comes to eye care. OCD leads to compulsive eye rubbing, which can cause eye injury, eye infections, and a plethora of eye-related problems. Hence, it is necessary to understand the nuances of eye care for children with OCD to ensure their vision and overall health stays stable.

Understanding OCD

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a neurological disorder that affects both adults and children, wherein the individual affected experiences intrusive, unpleasant, and unwanted thoughts (obsessions), leading to repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that one feels the urge to perform in response to the thoughts.

Children with OCD may feel the urge to rub their eyes frequently as a response to their obsessive thoughts. OCD can lead a child to rub their eyes obsessively or pick at their eyelashes, which can damage their eyes’ corneal surface directly. As parents, it is our responsibility to identify such behaviors and take preventive measures to ensure our children’s eye health stays protected.

Tips for Eye Care for Children With OCD

Establish a Schedule

Establish a schedule for eye care that includes regular eye checkups, eye hygiene practices, and a set bedtime routine that ensures sufficient sleep. Proper care includes ensuring appropriate eye protection against screens and harmful ultraviolet rays. As parents, we must emphasize eye care to our children, make a routine and set reminders, and ensure children follow them daily.

Explain The Importance of Eye Care

Understanding the importance of eye care can go a long way in ensuring that children with OCD maintain their eye health correctly. Parents should explain the significance of eye care to their children and how the lack of it can lead to unwanted consequences.

Prevent Eye Rubbing

Preventing eye rubbing is crucial. A child with OCD will have the urge to rub their eyes more than usual, making their eyes vulnerable to other eye-related problems such as allergies and infections. Encourage your child to use over-the-counter lubricants in the form of eye drops that can help soothe itchy eyes.

Treat Eye Infections Immediately

Treat eye infections immediately when they occur. As the cornea’s surface is delicate, it becomes highly susceptible to infections when rubbed excessively. If an infection seems present, take a trip to the doctor to get it treated immediately.

Conclusion

Eyes are an essential part of visual perception, and as parents, it is our responsibility to ensure their well-being. Maintaining good eye care practices with children suffering from OCD can be challenging, but it is essential to uphold the routines consistently. Parents must be vigilant regarding the early signs that exhibit a child’s OCD behavior, such as frequent eye rubbing, and provide the necessary preventive measures immediately. Finally, frequent check-ups to the child’s ophthalmologist can ensure that their eyesight stays in check and receives proper medical attention when required.