My son has been in the habit of licking his fingers or the backs of his hands then pressing them to his eyes as if his eyes were dry. He is super sensitive to light and MUST have sunglasses when we leave the house. He has done this for a few years now; he'll be 8 in April. Has anyone heard of anything similar or know of anything related? Thanks...
2007-01-25 16:06:09 · 16 answers · asked by Andrea 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Other - Diseases
And just so you all know, yes, I have taken him to his pediatrician. All they suggest is eye drops. You have to understand, in my area, there are few options for health care without traveling far and wide. Thank you for the suggestions thus far.
2007-01-25 16:30:45 · update #1
i agree...aspergers syndrome...the lightest form of autism is probably the cause.
my nephew who is very smart in and about cars and things he takes apart (can put them back together with no problems) has aspergers syndrome.
he is very timid and not socially adaquate (spelling?) lol. sometimes his behavhour is like that of a 12 year old, Steve is 23.
if you find him really good at a particular subject or thing this would be another clue to aspergers.
I also believe the person who suggested tourette's syndrome as well, that might be the other meaning behind his eye wiping. especially if he continues to wipe even though he has eye drops.
you need to ask your doctor to send him to a nuerologist, not a psychiatrist! they always misdiagnose aspergers!
good luck-sounds like you've got the making of an einstein! (seriously! thats a good thing!)
2007-01-25 17:50:23 · answer #1 · answered by Stephanie 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There could be a lot of reasons he does this. I would ask the doctor about it. If he says his eyes are dry, try to get him to use a wet washcloth or something other than his saliva and his hands. I would think that could transfer bacteria into his eyes making the situation worse. Some people are more sensitive to light. My mother, who has a sinus problem of all things, needs to wear dark sunglasses a lot because the light will cause her eyes to tear up. Best bet would be to take him to the doctor and see what's going on with him. Good luck.
2007-01-25 16:18:43 · answer #2 · answered by aku_aku78 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
This may be far fetched, but it sounds to me if it is not an actual eye problem,(and you should probably check that first)he may have one of the tics from a mild case of Tourette's.Syndrome Does he ever make any strange noises.Does he do any other strange things with his hands or his head. When my son was in 3rd grade he became disruptive making strange noises and strange actions also called tics. He had am mild case of Tourettes, and now, at age 43, has no residual effects and has outgrown it entirely.
2007-01-25 16:55:45 · answer #3 · answered by imanonni 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A couple of things - he could be suffering from dry eyes or just have photophobia (sensitivity to light). Does he squint a lot? How is his vision? Your best best is to get him to an eye doctor (not one who just prescribes glasses, although that is a start).
An eye doctor will be able to see if he has blocked tear ducts or whether there is a physical reason for his light sensitivity. Eye sight is very precious... please get him to the doctor.
2007-01-25 16:14:32 · answer #4 · answered by sagegranny 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Sensitivity to sunlight is not uncommon. Wearing sunglasses especially those cheap ones without UV protection will just increase his sensitivity and act as a 'Linus Blanket'.
2007-01-25 16:12:58 · answer #5 · answered by rusty_1491 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
aspergers (high functioning autism) does sometimes have hypersensitivity attached with it, but I'm sure there would be other presenting functions.
I saw this thing on one of those TLC programs where there was a girl that was allergic to UV...
Quick search guess: http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/lightsensitive.htm I'd chalk the wet hands to eyes as a kid function of not entierly knowing how to interpret what their body is telling them.
2007-01-25 16:15:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
has he seen an eye doctor. At first when I read about the lickin I though maybe he has obsessive compulsive disorder but the sensitivity to light wouldn't happen with OCD. (Search for causes of Photophobia)
2007-01-25 16:11:29 · answer #7 · answered by ALM 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Gosh, I would just take him to see either an eye doctor or even his pediatrician. Sounds pretty scary, especially for him.
2007-01-25 16:18:27 · answer #8 · answered by Sassafrass AKA: SASSY 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There are many conditions which can make you sensitive light. I would strongly suggest you get him checked out by a doctor.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003041.htm
2007-01-25 16:13:00 · answer #9 · answered by trichbopper 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
maybe the sensation
this has on his eyes
brings relief to prickly
dryed eyes for a while
and he can dothis whenever
he feels the need without
troubling anybody ,his own
way.
2007-01-25 16:16:03 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋