It is not uncommon for an individual to wear glasses since childhood. In fact, it is better to catch vision problems while your child is still young. This way, the issue can be corrected with glasses before it becomes worse.
However, you may not realize your child is having trouble with their vision. Your child may not even realize their issues or complaints are from vision problems. This is why it is essential to know what signs to look for when dealing with your child’s eye health.
To help you get a head start on correcting your child’s vision, here are several signs that your child may need glasses.
Rubbing or Squinting Eyes
It is normal for a child to rub their eyes from time to time, especially if they are sleepy. If your child is frequently rubbing their eyes even when they are wide awake, they may be suffering from teary, strained, or fatigued eyes. You may also notice your child frequently squinting their eyes. This could be a sign of allergies or vision problems.
Complains of Frequent Headaches
You may notice your child frequently complaining of headaches or eye pain. They may even complain after activities such as reading or screen time. This is a sign of eye strain, which can happen when attempting to focus with blurry vision. Their eyes are most likely tired from constantly trying to focus. It is worth scheduling an eye exam to find out if glasses can improve their vision and reduce their headaches.
Difficulty Seeing Tripping Hazards
A child with vision problems may not see clear tripping hazards in front of them, such as an object on the floor. They may even miss more serious hazards, such as the curb or stairs. You need to have your child’s eyes examined before this turns into an injury. Glasses may be the answer to your child missing what is right in front of them.
Brings Certain Items Close
You may notice your child bringing their homework, books, and devices closer to their face. This usually means they are having trouble reading smaller or even normal-sized print, so they are trying to get a closer look at the print on the paper or screen. Your child may also have issues seeing the board at school. While their teacher can move them closer, it is still best to have their eyes examined.
Covers One of Their Eyes
Your child may close or cover an eye while participating in an activity, such as reading or watching television. What they are doing is closing or covering their weaker eye, so they can focus on the activity with their stronger eye. Your child may have a lazy eye or misaligned eyes, so it is best to have the problem diagnosed by a pediatric optometrist. Glasses and a temporary eye patch may help to strengthen their weaker eye.
Avoids Certain Activities
If your child has vision problems, they may avoid near-vision or distance-vision activities that require them to focus their eyes. Examples of near-vision activities are schoolwork, reading, and board games. Viewing the blackboard and looking for distant small objects are examples of distance-vision activities. Your child is avoiding these activities because they cause eye strain and headaches.
Sensitivity To Light
Your child may complain about the sunlight, television screen or brighter lamps. They may even insist on wearing their sunglasses inside the house. If this is the case for your child, their eyes may be overly sensitive to light. Their sensitivity to light may be accompanied by eye pain, and both of these ailments may accompany red eyes that do not go away within a few days.
Visible Problems With Eye
You may also notice visible problems with your child’s eyes. Your child’s eyes may look cross-eyed, or one of their eyes may tend to shift to the side. Basically, their eyes are not working together. Other examples include cloudy eyes, bulging eyes, different-sized pupils and droopy eyelids. They may have been born with this condition, or the condition has occurred over time. Regardless, these are clear signs that your child needs an eye examination.
Conclusion
If you notice your child displaying any signs of vision problems, be sure to contact a pediatric eye doctor as soon as possible. The sooner you have your child’s vision corrected with glasses, the sooner they can get back to doing the activities they enjoy.
