Vision plays an integral role in shaping a child’s social, cognitive, and physical development. Unfortunately, one in every five children in the United States has a vision disorder. Uncorrected eye problems can severely hamper a child’s development and learning and even cause permanent loss of vision. Therefore, getting a reliable pediatric optometrist in Greenville, SC, to take care of your child’s eyes can go a long way in ensuring that any emerging vision problems are corrected at their earliest stages of development when they are still easy to treat. It can also significantly contribute to your child’s overall well-being now and even in the future.
Signs of Eye Problems in Children
For an effective learning process, children require a number of vision skills, including visual acquit, eye focusing, eye tracking, eye-hand coordination, and visual perception. When some of these skills are poorly developed or not developed at all, learning can be difficult and stressful. Therefore you have to be on the lookout for any signs that may point to eye problems in your child. Some of such signs include:
- Eye pain and itchiness
- Watery eyes
- Drooping eyelids
- Oversensitivity to light
- greyish or whitish pupil
- Complaints of fatigue and discomfort
- Short attention span
- Avoiding reading
- Covering one eye
- Frequent headaches
- Eyes turning in or out
- Holding books and other reading materials close to the eyes
Common Eye Problems in Children and Their Causes
There are several eye problems that can affect children. Some of the most common ones include:
Astigmatism
This is a condition in which a child’s cornea is improperly shaped, meaning that both near and far away objects appear blurred. It occurs when the cornea has a physical defect causing irregularities in its curve.
Strabismus
This is a condition in which one or both eyes of a child’s eyes misaligns by turning down, up, in or out. Therefore, the eyes have difficulty focusing on one object consistently. The problem mostly results from genetic factors, but it can also be caused by physical injuries to the nerves or the muscles that are tasked with controlling the movement of the eyes.
Myopia
This is an eye problem in which a patient is able to clearly see objects that are close to the eyes while those that are far away from the eyes appear blurred. It occurs when the light can hardly focus on the retina. It mostly results from genetic factors.
Hyperopia
This eye condition is the opposite of myopia. Children with hyperopia clearly see objects that are at a faraway distance, while those closer to their eyes appear blurred. It occurs when the cornea has a flatter curve, which is a genetic issue.
The Takeaway
Overall, it is apparent that there are a number of eye problems that affect children. If they are not corrected in time, they can lead to learning problems and even permanent loss of eyesight. Therefore, it is imperative for parents to take their children to a pediatric optometrist for regular checkups and treatment in case of any signs of eye problems in their children.
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