Remember the first day of kindergarten for your first child? It was a touching day for everyone, and at least one of you probably got teary. Now you join every other parent of a school aged child and do the happy dance on the first day of school. Back to routine, back to quiet moments during the day and back to homework in the evening. Oh the homework, the dreaded struggles over doing it right, doing it all or doing it at all. Did you ever wonder why it was such a struggle? Perhaps your child is simply tired in the evening, or tired of schoolwork, or has a headache, or maybe doesn't realise there are vision problems?
Children can develop eye problems for now apparent reason, just like adults can. Plus, not every child notices there is an issue until much later. Perhaps he or she simply resists reading because it tires them. Maybe they experience a headache, eye strain, dizziness or just plain frustration. These could all be signs of minor sight troubles, but they could also be markers of other things going on. To begin the process of elimination, take your child for an eye exam. It is painless, fast, easy and necessary.
Some children may only require a low grade prescription for reading glasses to improve their performance. In these instances the child may not have even noticed the letters on the page were becoming blurry. They may have only felt tired after a short period of reading, or conversely if they were already feeling fatigued, reading seemed more difficult. Just the small change in wearing reading glasses could make the difference for a child to feel confident in their reading ability rather than insecure.
For families with a history of genetic disorders such as diabetes, asthma, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis and so on, eye exams on a regular basis are imperative. About 30% of genetic disorders affect the eyes and begin to appear during childhood. Even if the child does not present a diagnosis of the genetic disorder themselves, there can be eye problems. Although it is uncommon, children can develop paediatric cataracts and paediatric glaucoma. Regular annual eye exams can help spot these issues early one and initiate a successful treatment.
Approximately 2-4% of the population experiences a misalignment of the eyes. An inward, upward, outward or downward turning of the eyes is called Strabismus, and is fairly noticeable early on. However, the incidence of a child's eye(s) periodically turning a different direction than what is normal does not necessarily mean Strabismus is present. Some muscular disabilities affect the eyes and when the child is fatigued the ocular muscles may become too fatigued to align. Amblyopia is similar, but affects the actual vision of the eye. One eye has much better vision that the other, causing the brain to rely on it much more. About 4% of the population experience lazy eye (amblyopia), but it can be remedied through patching the stronger eye or even surgery.
A couple of childhood eye problems are conjunctivitis and blocked tear duct. Conjunctivitis is viral and usually appears as a crusty matter around the child when they wake from a long night sleep. It usually accompanies the common cold, if present at all, and can often disappear on its own. Some children have such a large amount of gooey substance around the eyes in the morning that they cannot easily open them. An application of a warm wet cloth can help clear away the nastiness. Blocked tear ducts can be just as simple to remedy, or involve something more serious. A congenital obstruction can lead to surgical repairs, and infected block will usually just require medicated eye drops.
Many children today suffer from various learning and/or behavioural disabilities such as dyslexia, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. When a child is struggling with any of these issues it is important they receive all the help they can, including the ability to see with perfect vision. Thus it is vital to have their eyesight checked, even for the most minor needs. That small boost of reading glasses or UV blocking lenses can make the difference between success and failure, at least in the mind of the child.
As you ready your child for the coming school year, schedule an eye exam. Before compiling all the school supplies, physical education shoes, computer upgrades and lunch kits, get the kids in for eye testing. While you schedule music lessons and sports practices, invest in protective eyewear and make an appointment for eyesight assessment. Your children's eye health is more important than any other back to school task.
Children can develop eye problems for now apparent reason, just like adults can. Plus, not every child notices there is an issue until much later. Perhaps he or she simply resists reading because it tires them. Maybe they experience a headache, eye strain, dizziness or just plain frustration. These could all be signs of minor sight troubles, but they could also be markers of other things going on. To begin the process of elimination, take your child for an eye exam. It is painless, fast, easy and necessary.
Some children may only require a low grade prescription for reading glasses to improve their performance. In these instances the child may not have even noticed the letters on the page were becoming blurry. They may have only felt tired after a short period of reading, or conversely if they were already feeling fatigued, reading seemed more difficult. Just the small change in wearing reading glasses could make the difference for a child to feel confident in their reading ability rather than insecure.
For families with a history of genetic disorders such as diabetes, asthma, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis and so on, eye exams on a regular basis are imperative. About 30% of genetic disorders affect the eyes and begin to appear during childhood. Even if the child does not present a diagnosis of the genetic disorder themselves, there can be eye problems. Although it is uncommon, children can develop paediatric cataracts and paediatric glaucoma. Regular annual eye exams can help spot these issues early one and initiate a successful treatment.
Approximately 2-4% of the population experiences a misalignment of the eyes. An inward, upward, outward or downward turning of the eyes is called Strabismus, and is fairly noticeable early on. However, the incidence of a child's eye(s) periodically turning a different direction than what is normal does not necessarily mean Strabismus is present. Some muscular disabilities affect the eyes and when the child is fatigued the ocular muscles may become too fatigued to align. Amblyopia is similar, but affects the actual vision of the eye. One eye has much better vision that the other, causing the brain to rely on it much more. About 4% of the population experience lazy eye (amblyopia), but it can be remedied through patching the stronger eye or even surgery.
A couple of childhood eye problems are conjunctivitis and blocked tear duct. Conjunctivitis is viral and usually appears as a crusty matter around the child when they wake from a long night sleep. It usually accompanies the common cold, if present at all, and can often disappear on its own. Some children have such a large amount of gooey substance around the eyes in the morning that they cannot easily open them. An application of a warm wet cloth can help clear away the nastiness. Blocked tear ducts can be just as simple to remedy, or involve something more serious. A congenital obstruction can lead to surgical repairs, and infected block will usually just require medicated eye drops.
Many children today suffer from various learning and/or behavioural disabilities such as dyslexia, autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. When a child is struggling with any of these issues it is important they receive all the help they can, including the ability to see with perfect vision. Thus it is vital to have their eyesight checked, even for the most minor needs. That small boost of reading glasses or UV blocking lenses can make the difference between success and failure, at least in the mind of the child.
As you ready your child for the coming school year, schedule an eye exam. Before compiling all the school supplies, physical education shoes, computer upgrades and lunch kits, get the kids in for eye testing. While you schedule music lessons and sports practices, invest in protective eyewear and make an appointment for eyesight assessment. Your children's eye health is more important than any other back to school task.
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