Children can develop a variety of vision problems, from difficulty focusing on objects that are far away to one eye that sees better than the other. Vision problems can impact a child’s performance at school, and if left untreated, can worsen as the child gets older. Read on to learn more about common signs and symptoms of children’s vision problems:
Wandering Eyes
- One of the most common eye conditions that affects children is strabismus, which is also known as “crossed” or “wandering” eye. Strabismus occurs when the eyes cannot look at an object simultaneously. Usually, a child with strabismus will have eyes that cannot move in synch with each other. A child with strabismus may also move his head in odd ways in order to look at something and may run into objects due to poor depth perception. Eye exercises, prescriptive glasses, medicine, and eye surgery are some possible ways to treat strabismus.
Squinting
- Does your child have to sit close in order to watch the TV or squint when trying to view the chalkboard in class? He could have an eye condition called myopia, or nearsightedness, which makes seeing faraway objects difficult. Nearsightedness is often genetic and is therefore not preventable. However, the problem can generally be fixed through wearing glasses or contact lenses.
Drooping Eyelid or Eye that Crosses
- Sometimes children have an eyelid that droops or an eye that appears crossed. These symptoms could be signs of a condition called amblyopia, or “lazy eye.” Amblyopia occurs when one eye sees more acutely than the other. Eventually, the brain chooses to see out of the good eye and rejects seeing out of the weaker eye, causing the eye to become “lazy.” Children will not usually complain about having bad vision in one eye, so it’s important for parents to schedule regular eye exams to ensure that their children’s eye health is progressing normally.
These are only a few issues that can impact children’s vision. For answers to questions about your child’s vision or to schedule an eye appointment, call Boston Laser at (617) 566-0062.
