MOOKS- excessive blinking?

[sunshineandpinot]

About 2 weeks before my very level headed 6 year old finished kindergarten, she started excessively blinking. And hard blinking, if that makes sense. It's very noticeable.  All my friends have noticed it and her teacher noticed it. It also happened around the time she started swim team. I thought it might be chlorine but 1. she wear goggles and 2. she's always been a swimmer and this has never happened before.

She says her eyes do not hurt. They not red or irritated. I've googled this and google tells me that most likely it's a nervous tic and not to mention it and she'll out grow it in a few weeks to years  :?

My mom happened to have some eye drops, some very gentle OTC ones and we've tried that with no change. 

It seems to increase with screen time but she already gets very limited screen time. Many days none at all. 

wdyt? Would you go to the pedi for this? Has anyone else experienced this? 

thanks!

[CrazyLucky]

DH makes fun of me all the time for being a blinker. For our wedding pictures, the photographer would give me a one two three, so I could blink on two and have my eyes open on three.
So, blinking a lot won't hurt her, so I would just hold off until her regular well child check up.

[whitemerlot]

I've had kids do this when I was teaching and they eventually stopped.

My own 5 year old has done it for a day or two a couple times, and I've ignored.

I would give it a little bit, maybe a month or two and then ask the doctor. Is she anxious in general?

[auntie]

Sounds like a tic.

She's about the right age for this to start. Tics tend to start around school age, peak around puberty and fade for some around 18 or so. Sometimes tics are associated with behavioral or mental health issues like anxiety. Sometimes they run in families. She may just have this blinking tic, or it could morph into something more complex that involves vocalization or motor movements.

I'd run it past her pedi. Maybe over the phone. If this is anxiety driven, addressing that anxiety with therapy might dial it back. Certain medications, like stimulants for ADHD, can trigger tics. In rare instances, tics can start/ramp up after an infection. Strep is the classic trigger, but DS has had some tic exacerbations from viruses. OMG, he had a bad cold two winters ago that triggered a vocal tic that nearly drove me away from home. Fortunately, his faded over about 6 weeks or so.

The standard advice is to not call attention to or mention ticking in front of her. While the person can very temporarily supress the tic, it will make things worse over the long term.

[asoctoberfalls]

My almost 4 year old does this. It's just like you said - a hard blink. His opthamologist said it's normal and to ignore. He usually does it for a few weeks then stops. He doesn't even seem aware that he's doing it.

[sunshineandpinot]

Jun 25, 2015 8:07:24 GMT -5 whitemerlot said:

I've had kids do this when I was teaching and they eventually stopped.

My own 5 year old has done it for a day or two a couple times, and I've ignored.

I would give it a little bit, maybe a month or two and then ask the doctor. Is she anxious in general?

She is not anxious in general. At all. Pretty laid back in fact. Which is why this confuses me. :/

[bbonanza]

I know DD1 has a nervous tic at times when she gets anxious, she started it when she was around 5 (she's 7 now). Not blinking, but a swallowing tic if that makes sense. But I agree with PP who said to take her to the ophthalmologist to take a look to make sure everything is okay.