Caring for You Child’s Vision Will Ensure That They Don’t Miss Out on Anything

Playing with friends, getting dirty and having fun are part and parcel of being a child. Playing is part of childhood. We all have fond memories of our childhood All of us have fond memories of activities and toys, but children who suffer from various eye defects may find that they miss out on certain aspects as well as falling behind at school.  Looking after your child’s eye care from an early age is thus very important. 

Having Eye Tests Before They Start School

The American Optometric Association advises that children undergo a series of eye tests before they start kindergarten. They feel that eye tests for 6 month old babies, 3 year old toddlers and fiver year old children are very important to detect any early symptoms of an eye defect. A comprehensive report can be gathered from the information received from the tests. A number of factors and conditions can be brought to light such as:

Conjunctivitis - an infection involving the eye’s outer layer. There are three types of conjunctivitis including: allergic, bacterial and viral. All three require different treatment, and both bacterial and viral conjunctivitis are extremely contagious. 

Crossed Eyes - an eye condition which if caught early enough can be operated on and no further treatment will be needed later on in life. This condition affects approximately four per cent of American children. The eyes are not able to focus as a single unit or see three-dimensionally because one or both may be pointing in different directions. Children who are suffering with the condition will need professional care.

Binocular Vision Impairment prevents the eyes from working together. The child will have impaired vision, not being able to see depths of things or three-dimensionally. They will need professional and specialist treatment, but the earlier they are diagnosed, the more time there will be for treatment. .

Finally, Amblyopia or ‘lazy eye’ is another impairment which children’s vision specialists can detect. It affects approximately 2-3 per cent of children in the US and stems from having poor muscle function in one single eye.  Children with this eye problem will often have problems seeing the depth of things and seeing three-dimensionally. Early detection can have a significant positive impact on the condition.

Points to look out for regarding eye defects in children include:

Holding objects very close to the eyes
Complaining of headaches
Blinks constantly and often squints or rubs the eyes
Gets very tired after reading
Avoids reading
Complains about cloudy vision on occasion
Has difficulty distinguishing left from right
Very occasionally reverses letters or words

At the end of the day, childhood really should be the best time of your life and you don’t want anything to affect your child’s childhood. If you ignore your child’s eye care, you could be causing them serious harm.