Symptoms of Eye Problems in Children
Children nowadays are more exposed to all kinds of technologies and gadgets, making them vulnerable to early eye problems. Even if this isn’t the case, your eyes are one of the most fragile parts of your body, so they’re easy to damage.
It’s recommended to regularly visit your pediatrician just to ensure optimal health for your child. They specialize in children’s care, so they can diagnose your child and refer you to the right expert if your child has any medical conditions.
You should never self-diagnose problems with your children’s eyes, so it’s also vital to visit an eye specialist or your nearest eye clinic when problems persist.
In the following, we’ll be discussing the symptoms of eye problems in children.
1. Squinting
If you observe your child squinting or has a cross-eye, this could indicate an eye problem. For starters, squinting is a common sign of astigmatism.
You’ll find that astigmatism is one of the most common eye problems people face today—even kids. Astigmatism happens when either the cornea or lens inside the eyes have mismatched curves.
The typical curve should be like a round ball, but with astigmatism, the surface is egg-shaped. Squinting is often accompanied by blurred vision with this eye condition.
Because of this, some individuals who aren’t comfortable with constantly wearing glasses or contact lenses choose to get LASIK. While this treatment plan isn’t applicable for children, anyone beyond 18 years of age can take advantage of it.
2. Holding objects closer than needed
If your child holds particular objects like books nearer, this may be because they’re having trouble focusing on the item.
Specifically people who are nearsighted or have myopia have poor vision at a distance. Bringing an object closer to them makes things clearer.
Both myopia and nearsightedness might not seem serious, but it’s essential to get corrective glasses immediately for your child. Otherwise, there’s a risk of developing severe eye conditions later on in life, such as glaucoma and retinal detachments.
3. Eye irritation
Eye irritation and redness are both symptoms we experience from time to time. However, if you notice constant redness in your child’s eyes that continues to persist after a few days to a week, that’s when it becomes something you should worry about.
Both eye irritation and redness are symptoms of pink eye, but this can also cause inflammation in your child’s cornea if the symptoms don’t reduce within a week. In this case, it’s vital to visit a doctor.
Not only are these uncomfortable for your child, but they may also cause vision impairment.
4. Cloudy layer around the lens
This can be a case of pediatric cataracts, and you should never neglect this. While it’s usually older people who suffer from this condition, children can experience this as well.
Most often, children experience cataracts after being born or shortly after. The aspect that makes this crucial to be treated is that it’s the leading cause of blindness in children.
Another severe complication from cataracts is brain damage according to this study, and if this is the case, also see a neurologist. It’s an uncommon effect but similar to any other surgery, there’s a chance of neurological post-operative side effects like brain damage, central nervous system toxicity, and binocular diplopia.
Visit a professional in the necessary field if your child’s symptoms continue to persist.
Also, ensure that it’s part of your child’s self-care to regularly have an eye appointment every three to six months. This prevents complications from arising, such as medical conditions linked to vision impairment like diabetes.
Be sure to bring your health insurance, as there are some instances where it covers your eye checkups.
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