How to Know If Your Child Needs Glasses

Sometimes it can be hard to tell if your child is having vision problems. If they’ve always seen the world as a blur, they make think it’s normal; they won’t know to tell you that something is wrong. Unfortunately, having poor vision can have many negative effects on your child. They may do poorly in school, at sports, or may have trouble making friends. In younger children, it can be even more difficult to spot vision problems. However, as a parent, you can watch for certain indications that your child isn’t seeing as well as he or she should.

What To Look For:

Although all children will react differently to vision problems, for the most part children will have a hard time with activities that require good vision.

 

- If your child is old enough to read, observe their behavior closely. Pay close attention to whether or not your child is having to pull the book closer or push it away to make out the words. If so, your child could be having difficulty reading the words and trying to compensate by either getting the book closer or farther away. Also, if your child is covering one eye to read, it may mean that he or she is suffering from poor vision in one eye and is trying to cover the problem eye.

 

- Be sure to watch your child closely in other activities such as watching television. Often children who are suffering from vision problems and feel nearsighted will end up sitting extremely close to the television.

 

- For younger children, it can be more difficult to spot vision problems. However, you can look for specific physical traits and symptoms. For example, if your toddler is constantly rubbing his or her eyes, it may be a sign of eye fatigue from having to strain from poor vision. Also, if your child is tilting his or her head it can be a sign that the eye muscles are imbalanced causing double vision. By tilting the head, your child can help compensate. Frequent headaches can be another indicator that your child may be having problems with vision. Generally, children that are farsighted will have aches in the forehead/brow area.

 

- If your child is under 6 months of age, look for signs such as eye crossing. Eye crossing is an involuntary reaction when the eyes cannot focus correctly.

 

It’s recommended that you take your child in to have their vision checked by the age of 3. If you feel that your child may be suffering from any vision problems, don’t try to make a self-diagnosis; set up an appointment with an optometrist as soon as possible.

 

 

Sara Roberts writes for Just Eyewear, a discount eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses online retailer.

Filed under: child • Eye Care • Health

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