Kid’s Vision Concerns: Here’s What Parents Need to Know

How To Tell if Your Child Needs Glasses

Posted Jul 31, 2024 | Eye Health

Vision problems in childhood can have a long-lasting impact on their lives. Because children may not notice small changes in their eyesight, they often go untreated. Sometimes these issues aren’t recognized until a young person is well into their schooling—when undiagnosed issues can impact their learning. When it comes to scheduling an eye exam for your child, some doctors recommend starting before the child reaches age 1¹.

No matter how old your child is, here are five warning signs that it’s time to get their vision checked by an optometrist:

They squint more often. Squinting may help them focus, but it’s no substitute for glasses or contacts. Persistent squinting is a tell-tale indication that they may have a refractive error in their vision².
Your child complains of headaches. Squinting all day long can stress face muscles, resulting in headaches. See your pediatrician or optometrist to narrow down the culprits.
They start struggling in school. Whether they’re in a physical classroom or a digital one, kids who can’t read instructions off the whiteboard or their screen are going to run into trouble when completing assignments.
Losing their place while reading. While it’s normal for children to sometimes lose track of their place while reading, a persistent inability to to focus on the location of words while they’re reading a sentence might point to other issues³.
They cover one eye. Ever the pragmatists, some children will cover their weak eye and rely on the one that provides clearer vision. Needless to say, it’s not a long-term solution.
Your child sits too close to the computer monitor or TV. If a child can’t see their favorite TV show from the couch, they will probably camp out right in front of the screen.

COMMON VISION PROBLEMS AFFECTING KIDS

Refractive Errors: Refractive errors in the eye—like astigmatism, myopia (nearsightedness), and hyperopia (farsightedness)—cause blurry vision by preventing light from reaching the correct part of the retina. Be on the lookout for squinting, holding books and screens too close, and headaches, since any of these can point to a refractive error⁴.

Amblyopia (lazy eye): A “lazy eye” doesn’t move in unison with its partner, appearing to wander or drift. Since it is often quite obvious, amblyopia is usually diagnosed at a young age.

There are several causes behind ablyopia, but each involves the quality of visual information being sent from the retina to the brain. For example, if one eye suffers from myopia while the other delivers a clear view, the brain may favor the stronger eye. The myopic eye is then downgraded in importance, leading to reduced control. Strabismus, discussed below, can also cause amblyopia to develop.

Treatment options vary with the cause of amblyopia. Children may temporarily wear a patch over the better eye to help “reconnect” the weaker one with the brain. Specialized corrective lenses can be used to similar effect, blurring the vision in the stronger eye. In certain cases, surgery may be necessary⁵.

Strabismus (crossed eyes): A misalignment of the eyes may be indicative of strabismus, which makes people appear cross-eyed. There are several potential causes behind strabismus, including problems with the eye muscles or nerves. Strabismus can also arise due to brain damage or diseases like cerebral palsy. Your ophthalmologist can help diagnose the cause of the condition.

Corrective lenses, eye patches, or surgery may be needed to correct strabismus. Left untreated, it can result in amblyopia (discussed above)⁶.

Ptosis (drooping eyelid): In ptosis, one eyelid hangs lower than the other. The levator muscle is responsible for lifting the eyelid; problems with the levator can result in ptosis.

Since ptosis can cause one eye to perform better than the other, leaving it untreated may result in amblyopia. Surgery is usually effective at correcting ptosis⁷.

The preceding list of vision concerns covers several major issues; you should take your child to see an eye doctor for a comprehensive exam whenever you suspect something is wrong.

SCHOOL VISION SCREENINGS AREN’T ENOUGH

Many schools provide vision screenings for students. While such a test may reveal that your child needs glasses, we still recommend a regular eye exam performed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Optometrists are trained to spot eye diseases and can write prescriptions for glasses or contacts. Serious eye concerns may require a visit to an ophthalmologist, a medical doctor who can treat a wider range of conditions and perform surgery. Eyeconic® can help you find a local eye doctor.

Ensuring that your child is seeing clearly can help prevent more serious issues when they become teens or adults.

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