Back-to-school shopping
lists might include school supplies, new clothes, and even a haircut, but does
it include an eye exam? It really should! Comprehensive eye exams can detect a
variety of eye conditions that, left untreated in a child, could result in
partial or complete loss of vision later in life. Common conditions include
astigmatism and nearsightedness. Conditions such as amblyopia can cause serious
problems if not addressed early in life. A screening at a pediatrician’s office
is a great way to get referred for a vision or eye problem suspected in a
child, but even a screening can miss eye problems that would be found during a
full dilated eye exam. Here are nine signs children may need an eye exam:
· Complaining of headaches: When children overly strain
their eyes to focus, this causes headaches over extended periods of time
· Becoming fatigued after reading: Eye fatigue is when
eyes are burning, itching, or tired. It might be difficult to notice these
symptoms in a child, but if a child is falling behind in reading comprehension
or shies away from reading activities, this might be the culprit
· Poor sports performance: If a child’s visual
processing seems slower than it should, this might be a sign there is a vision
issue at play. A child with an untreated vision problem might perform poorly in
sports due to clumsiness, poor hand-eye coordination, inability to focus or
skewed depth perception
· Squinting or closing one eye: Squinting does not
damage eyes, but it might be a sign that a child needs glasses. By squinting, a
child is subconsciously attempting to make the pupil smaller, therefore letting
in less light. This technique enhances a child’s focus that might be potentially
blurry
· Blinking or rubbing eyes: If a child rubs
his/her eyes while trying to concentrate on an activity, particularly reading,
or while being active, it could mean the child has a vision problem
· Poor reading ability and comprehension: Good vision is essential
for students of all ages to reach their full academic potential. If a child
seems disinterested in reading, is sidetracked easily, does not understand
material read, or reads the same sentence multiple times, it might be time to
schedule an eye exam
· Poor school performance: It is important for
parents to remember that children do not have a concept of poor vision, so they
might not always tell you when they cannot read something their teacher writes
on the blackboard. As a result, his/her grades can suffer
· Holding electronic devices or books too close to
eyes:
It is a myth that sitting too close to electronic devices can hurt your eyes,
but if a child is sitting too close to the TV or holding a book too close to
his/her face, it might be a sign of a vision problem. Leaning closely in to
read text or see images on the television might often mean a child is living
with nearsightedness
· Loss of place while reading: Using a finger to
track the words can be typical behavior for a child who is learning to read,
but pay attention to this behavior. He or she should eventually be able to
focus on the words without losing place
To schedule a children’s eye exam please call Center for Sight 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver to schedule an appointment.
Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.
