Like every other part of their body, children’s eyes develop and grow in their early years from birth. It is also during this period that children are more vulnerable and susceptible to eye conditions and diseases, which if not cautious and left untreated, may lead to lifelong vision impairment.
As parents, monitoring your child’s growth requires attentiveness so that you’d know when to head over to a pediatric ophthalmologist or children’s eye clinic as a precautionary measure when it comes to your children’s eye health.
Identifying common eye problems in children is just a scratch on the surface, which then brings us to understanding the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention methods you need to know to protect your children’s eyes health, and that’s what this article is all about. Read further on the common child eye problems to best fend for your children’s eye health.
Common Eye Problems in Children
Myopia & Hyperopia
Myopia or short-sightedness is when your child’s vision gets blurry with long distance and the opposite to it is hyperopia which is long-sightedness where objects close to your child’s eyes aren’t clear to their sight. This condition may affect your child’s day-to-day activities such as learning and developing skills.
The best way to navigate through either problem is by correcting glasses that are prescribed according to the required power for their eyes. This can only be diagnosed and rectified after paying a visit to an eye clinic.
Strabismus
Commonly known as ‘crossed eyes’, Strabismus is when the eyes are misaligned making your children’s eyes look across from where they are looking. This eye problem in children happens quite as early as birth but the good news is that the vision can be restored and double vision can be avoided if treated early.
If you notice your children’s eyes are pointed either inward, outward, upward or downward and they seem to squint frequently and excessively, especially in a bright environment, and find them tilting their heads often in an attempt to align their eyes, it’s time to bring them to an eye clinic for a check-up.
Ptosis
You would probably recognise this common eye problem with the term ‘droopy’ eyelids whereby either one or both eyelids have weak muscles that prevent the lids to function and open at full capacity.
Amblyopia
If untreated, your child may affect visual acuity which can impact your child in the long run. Depending on the severity, your child may need to use eye patches and glasses or at times or require surgery in some cases.
If you notice your child struggling with poor depth perception, their eyes tend to wander about and plenty of eye squinting, be sure not to dismiss any of these symptoms and quickly schedule an appointment with an eye clinic.
Pediatric Cataract
Contrary to popular belief, cataract isn’t a condition that affects only old age people. It also is a known eye problem in children. The most visible sign of cataracts in children’s eyes is similar to adults, the lenses of the eyes are cloudy and grey, leading to blurry visions. It is a condition that demands critical attention as it is one of the prime causes of childhood blindness. A consultation with the eye clinic will determine the next step though most cataracts need to be removed via surgical procedures, particularly for hindered visions.
Identifying Symptoms of Eye Problems in Children
It could be hard to completely rely on your children to express their discomfort or pain when it comes to their eye problem.
Thus it lies on the parent’s ability and attentiveness to take note of their children’s eye health to identify any signs of eye problems in their children. Here are a few signs that should alert you to ring the eye clinic for a check-up:
- Sensitive to indoor and outdoor light
- Tendency to cover one or both eyes
- Droopy or crossed eyes
- Observing objects very closely (eg: bringing book closer to eyes)
- Frequently squinting eyes when observing something
- Flipping eyelids in and out
- Noticeable clumsiness
Steps to Take to Protect Children’s Eye
Some precautions can be taken to ensure your children’s eye health is developing to its maximum capacity without any hindering factor. A regular visit to the eye clinic will keep you updated on your children’s eye health.
Other than that, there are various ways for parents to actively play a role when it comes to avoiding eye problems in children. Ensuring healthy and nutritious food in their daily diet, incorporating activities that boost their visual engagement using colours and shapes, games like peekaboo to stimulate children’s eye coordination, and most importantly in the current era, limiting their digital time during their tender age can benefit children’s eye health in the long run.
If you have concerns regarding your children’s eye health, bring them over for an eye examination at VISTA Eye Specialist.
