Children’s eye health is a concern at any age! Our eyes are complicated little machines, and there’s a lot that can potentially go wrong as young children develop. Signs of vision problems can begin as early as their first year – and the sooner you spot the signs, the easier it can be to correct for the problems. Sometimes, early intervention can even prevent much more serious eye issues later on.
How can you tell if your child has vision problems? Well, the tricky part is that children won’t tell you they have vision issues. As far as a child knows, whatever they see is normal. They have no other standard of comparison.
So their vision could be completely blurry, and they wouldn’t realize anything is wrong. You need to actively watch for signs of trouble.
These include:
Squinting. Squinting is the most common sign that a child has focusing problems – especially if you see them squint at something far away, but not close-up, or vice-versa.
Head-tilting. If your child constantly turns their head to one side when looking at things, that could mean their vision is mis-aligned. Take them to a children’s eye health specialist for an exam.
Covering one eye. This is one of the most clear signs of vision problems. If they believe they see better with one eye covered, that suggests serious issues with the eye.
Getting excessively close to screens or books. If your child consistently has to put their eyes just a couple inches away from what they’re looking at, that’s a big sign that they’re near-sighted.
Excessive tears. Does it seem like your child’s eyes are always runny, or they seem to be crying even when they aren’t really crying? That could indicate their eyes are overworked, or that they have an eye infection.
Losing their place when reading. Do they have trouble following lines of text, or have to use a finger to keep their place on a line? That’s an early sign of astigmatism.
Headaches or eye pain. This is the only situation where your child is likely to tell you something’s wrong. If they have frequent headaches or eye pain, that’s a strong suggestion that something is wrong with their vision. It might even be a neurological issue.
If you see any of these signs, contact a children’s eye health specialist for a checkup. Click here to make an appointment at Valley Eyecare Center!
