Light sensitive eyes in a 2 year-old?

For the last three months or so, Ben has been complaining bitterly whenever he thinks the light is too bright for his eyes. Mostly, this has to do with the sun streaming in our back windows (into the kitchen and playroom/familyroom). The sun only comes in once the leaves have fallen off the trees behind the house so this wasn't a problem until recently. When he sees the sunlight poking through the windows he screams "Oh no! Mommy close shades!" He also complains when the sun hits his face in the car (even with tinted windows) and he covers his eyes with his hands. Last night, he was playing around in the upstairs hall and rolling around on the floor. When he looked up and saw the recessed lights, he clutched his hands to his eyes again. Now these things are pretty bright to my eyes, too, but I would just turn my head when I think the light is too bright or move out of the sunbeam coming through the window. Adam never complains about the light so I don't know if Ben is just being dramatic (and he is the type) or if he really is super-sensitive to bright lights.

As a side note that may not be related, Ben had a nasty ear infection last week that left him with a fever for almost five days. He complained several times that he had a "boo boo in his eyes". He stopped complaining about pain in his eyes once the fever went away so I don't know if it means anything.

Sorry for the long post, any ideas?

 

For the last three months or so, Ben has been complaining bitterly whenever he thinks the light is too bright for his eyes. Mostly, this has to do with the sun streaming in our back windows (into the kitchen and playroom/familyroom). The sun only comes in once the leaves have fallen off the trees behind the house so this wasn't a problem until recently. When he sees the sunlight poking through the windows he screams "Oh no! Mommy close shades!" He also complains when the sun hits his face in the car (even with tinted windows) and he covers his eyes with his hands. Last night, he was playing around in the upstairs hall and rolling around on the floor. When he looked up and saw the recessed lights, he clutched his hands to his eyes again. Now these things are pretty bright to my eyes, too, but I would just turn my head when I think the light is too bright or move out of the sunbeam coming through the window. Adam never complains about the light so I don't know if Ben is just being dramatic (and he is the type) or if he really is super-sensitive to bright lights.

As a side note that may not be related, Ben had a nasty ear infection last week that left him with a fever for almost five days. He complained several times that he had a "boo boo in his eyes". He stopped complaining about pain in his eyes once the fever went away so I don't know if it means anything.

Sorry for the long post, any ideas?

 

Mine don't like the sun light either, they cry in the car and say "mommy, sunny out!". We also close the shades in the kitchen for breakfast/lunch, if it is bright out. Some kids are just more sensitive than others.

It wouldn't hurt to talk to your pedi though if you are concerned.

My only other thought would be migraines . . . with the fever/ear infection he many had a headache and migraines cause you to be sensitive to light. I know I am when I have a migraine. Kids can and do get migraines, I just don't think we know it as often as they can't explain it to us as well.

 

If he was complaining of pain in his eyes recently, I'd get him checked out, even if he doesn't say it hurts anymore.

Amy is pretty light-sensitive too -- whenever the sun coming through the car window hits her in the eyes, she screws up her face horribly and cringes away -- but it doesn't seem like she's in actual pain.

 

Hi! My daughter always had sesitivity to light. When she started preschool, she told me that she could see "colors." I decided to have her eyes checked at the eye drs. He did a basic exam and said she was fine. When I told him she was seeing colors, he blew me off saying it was her imagination probably. When I became insistent and told him she was pretty specific, he decided he better check some more, and found my daughter had floaters. Normally, people get them as they get older, it is very uncommon for kids, but my daughter had a large one in her left eye. I told my ped dr, and he referred us to a eye MD, who did confirm the floater, but said my daughter would basically get used to it, and it shouldn't cause us any alarm. My daughter is now 6 and doesn't complain about it anymore. I would get your son checked out, because it could be any number of things, and it's better to catch a problem while they are young, or to not have to worry so much if it turns out there isn't a problem Good luck!

Tammy, mom to
Devin 9/11/00
Andrew & Brandon 3/15/03

 

My nephew Aidan was the only baby I knew that at 8 months prefered to wear sunglasses, and keep them on. No kidding. If he was going outside, he wanted his sunglasses. Still does, even at 7.
He's a fairly pale kid: silver blond hair and blue eyes. My brohter took him to the pedi, and the pedi told him some blue eyed kids can be more sensitive to light. (I'm sorry, I could not tell what color Ben's eyes are.) Pedi also said that photosensitivity can run in families. My brother is fairly sensitive to light, so it made sense to the pedi that Aidan would be too.
Tabitha sometimes complains about bright direct sunlight in her face and crys that it hurts while we are driving, even with the tinted windows. All I can tell her is to look aways until we turn again. I'm not sure what else to tell her either.

 

I think Paige is sensitive to light. She buries her head in my shoulder when we first go outside until I get her inside the car. She also likes to wear her sunglasses. I would agree that it couldn't hurt to get them checked out if he recently complained about the pain.

Amy

 

I second the blue eyes comment. Not before you scroll down and look at my kids let me explain

I used to babysit for a family and Stevie, the little gyrl, had the biggest blue eyes. She would HATE for the sunlight to be in her face and I kept about 5 pairs of glasses in the back seat of my car just for her. Her mother told me that at her pedi appt the dr said that it is common in all light color eye people to have a higher sensitivity to light. It seems to seep around their iris' and still spill light into their cornea even when there pupils aren't dilated. They also have more dialation naturally so they don't pull their pupils closed as tight, allowing a lot more light in. If been has even light brown eyes, this could be the problem. Take him to the eye doctor, but until then make a big deal about gettin ghtem both "big boy sunglasses". It may help.
HTH

 

Thanks so much for the input. Ben does have blue eyes (both of them do). My eyes are dark brown so it's possible that I just can't relate so well. I suppose it's good to hear that so many other kids are also sensitive to light. I don't ever remember having problems with it as a kid, but once again, dark brown eyes.

As for the pain, I am suspecting the high fever was causing his eyes to feel dry or hot. I would wipe them with a wet cloth and he seemed to like that. If he ever complains about it again I will probably take him to get checked out. Thanks again!

 

I have to agree with the blue eyes. Jason has blue eyes & has always been sensitive to the sun. He wears sunglasses if we go outside. Justin & I have brown eyes & the sun never bothers us.

 

I can't wait to read this post to my DH. My boys have just turned one and had an eye exam done when they were about 7 months old. DH has an eye disorder called Achromatopsia which is colorblindness and extreme sensitivity to light. Basically it is the same diorder an Albino would have but his eyes are blue. He swears the boys are going to have this also, both parents would have to have the gene and this is a constant subject. They have blue eyes and I would assume kids are sesititve to light anyway so I don't feel like they are going to have a problem. I'm glad others whose children are older seem to have the same sensitivity, blue eyes and I also think it is fairly normal for young kids to be sensitive to sunlight. I hope I am right but for now I think it is normal.