Excessive eye blinking

My DD (2 1/2) has started doing this hard eye blinking thing. She's not feeling well and has a slight fever. The dr said she has an upper respiratory infection. For a couple of days now, she's blinking hard, mostly when she watches tv. She will do it on occassion when she's not watching tv. I ask her if her eyes hurt or bother her and she says no. I'm not sure if it's b/c of her being sick or her not seeing well. Then the dr said some children develop tics and to watch out for Tourettes. What....Tourettes???? Does anyone have any history of their child with this blinking thing? Also, about a month or two ago, she started stuttering a lot and that disappeared now. Don't know what to think. Any advice is much appreciated.

Re: Excessive eye blinking

I found this online re: tourettes. I dont think stuttering is a sign of it...usually tourettes is when they just yell out or say inappropriate things.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/brain_nervous/tourette.html#

ETA: If you're nervous maybe follow up with a neurologist for peace of mind. Maybe it is a nervous thing?

Message edited 2/18/2010 2:34:56 PM.

Re: Excessive eye blinking

Could be a tic, and with tourettes you typically get tics. I would consult a neurologist about it, even though it is probably nothing. good luck

Re: Excessive eye blinking

Ds does this sometimes too and only when watching TV. I spoke to the ped about it and she said, its nothing to worry about and that its very common in toddlers to develop motor ticks around this age and that they generally just go away on their own and to not call attention to it. Otherwise, she said, and she suspects this may be it since it only occurs while watching TV, that he noticed once that it makes the screen blink/flash when he blinks excessively fast/hard and he is just experimenting with it.

She said she is NOT concerned about anything neurological bc both motor ticks and experimenting with new sensations are really common at this age.....especially that there is no sign of anything else going on.

Someone else just posted the same thing the other day.

Message edited 2/18/2010 4:12:17 PM.

Re: Excessive eye blinking

and before you make yourself crazy googling tourettes....google transient tic toddlers. Thats what my ped called it, they are really common.

Re: Excessive eye blinking

I just posted this the other day. My daughter was doing the same thing. She would blink hard and fast when watching TV, or concentrating on something. It lasted for a week then it stopped. I've been watching her like a hawk and now every little thing she does freaks me out since i've been reading about Tourette's myself. The pediatrician sent me to an opthamologist to rule out anything else that maybe going on with her eyes but everything was good. The pediatrican called it a benign tic and i'm hoping this doesn't reappear.

Did it stop for you're DD?

Re: Excessive eye blinking

my DH's 4 yr old cousin does this sporadically

a few weeks ago he was doing it like crazy. kept doing the hard blinking thing. it went away. we asked him if his eyes bothered him and he said no. then DH said "do your eyes hurt" and he said yes, and then told his mom they hurt. I think its just because those are the words DH used. Either way, he hasnt done it in a while.


hoping for the best

Message edited 2/23/2010 1:57:43 PM.

Re: Excessive eye blinking

could it be a dry eye issue or a clogged duct?


also, if she is sick and her body is stressed, maybe she is having some spasms and blinks b/c it feels funny? A 2.5 yr. old wouldnt be able to express to you what a spasm (twitch) feels like I dont think?

Message edited 2/23/2010 2:59:25 PM.