Vision disorder in children may be the culprit of other problems your child is experienceing. Here are the most common visual impairments and their treatments.
The earlier you can recognize if your child has a visual impairment, the better. Success in the treatment of certain visual impairments depends on early detection. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus agree that all children should have their eyes examined by the pediatric or family doctor at birth and at regular check-ups.
Some signs of vision impairment may include:
One eye drifts or aims in another direction
Child turns or tilts their head in order to see
Squinting or closing one eye
Excessive blinking
Redness
Sensitivity to light
Excessive tearing
Drooping lid
Bumps into things frequently
Hold books or objects unreasonably close
Complains frequently of headaches
If your child experiences one or more of these symptoms, make an appointment with a pediatric optometrist. By performing a series of vision test, they will be able to diagnose the visual impairment.
The most common visual impairments among children include strabismus, amblyopia, and myopia. Strabismus is a visual effect where two eyes point in different direction or "crossed-eyes". Amblyopia is more commonly known as "lazy eye". It is where there is lowered acuity or poor muscle control in one eye. Myopia is nearsightedness. A child can see near objects clearly but distant objects are blurred. Myopia more commonly begins around ages 8 - 12, but can occur at any age.
All of these visual impairments are better treated if detected early. Most treatment involves wearing corrective lenses. In extreme cases surgery may be required. In cases involving amblyopia, patch therapy along with corrective lenses may be necessary. A new type of approach in treating visual impairments is vision therapy. Vision therapy consists of eye exercises. The longer the visual impairment goes undetected, the harder it will be to "cure". Children should begin to receive regular eye exams by the time they turn 3 years old.
