Have you had your children’s eye examined this year? Does your child’s school nurse perform annual eye exams?
Last year when I made my appointment for my yearly eye exam, I thought it might be a good idea to make one for the boys as well. I wasn’t expecting them to find anything, but I thought why not, I’m going anyway.
I was surprised to find that Lucas really needed glasses. The doctor told me he has rather severe astigmatism and that he could also use corrective lenses for improving his vision. Before this exam, I would have never thought his vision would be an issue. He never squinted or complained of difficulty whatsoever. I found it hard to believe he actually wear his glasses because I kind-of questioned the need. Despite any skepticism, I bought glasses and encouraged him to wear them as a preventative measure. I was even more surprised to find that he has never complained about wearing them…not once.
The earlier you have your child’s eyes checked and corrected, should it be necessary, the better. The area of your child’s brain that controls their vision is constantly developing during his first seven years of life. This is a critical point there is still time to train the eye, therefore most diagnosed problems can be corrected. Children who don’t see a specialist, can risk permanent damage.
It’s almost impossible to tell if there is a problem without an eye test from a professional. If you have a family history of poor eyesight, then it is recommended you take them for an eye exam after they turn two and a half years old. Eye problems are detectable earlier than this, so you should see a specialist sooner if you have any concerns.
Common problems with eyesight
• Amblyopia (or lazy eye) is the most common cause of poor vision in children. Any problem that causes the vision to be blurry through childhood can cause amblyopia. These are
- myopia (near-sightedness)
- hyperopia (far-sightedness)
- astigmatism (irregularity of the focus).
• Squint is when two eyes are not looking in the same direction. One eye may turn in or out or one eye may sit higher than the other. Babies can often have the appearance of a squint due to the wide bridge of their nose but this appearance is lost as the face develops. A child with a true squint, will not grow out of it and must be seen by an eye specialist.
Treatment for eyesight problems
Beyond the age of five-and-a-half years it more difficult to reverse amblyopia and beyond seven years, it is usually impossible. That is why it is crucial to have your child’s eyes examined early.
Patching or covering the good eye is the most common method of treating amblyopia. The patch can be worn all day, every day, for a set period (after which your child’s vision is checked again) or it can be worn part of the time. There are also eye drops available that blur the good eye sufficiently to cause the brain to revert to use the poor eye again. Your eye specialist can guide you on what method will be most effective for your child.
Treatment for squints may include patching if a child squints with one eye only, as this leads to a lazy eye. Glasses will be prescribed for squints if there is a focusing error, particularly in far sightedness.
Standard eyesight tests
In school and at our annual doctor visits, my children have received eye exams. Though I don’t believe until about 5 at the doctor, and of course, school starts at 5; which in some cases would be too last to reserve a diagnosis.
