IMPORTANT TIPS FOR CHILDREN’S EYE CARE
Every parent wants their child to be happy and healthy. Our eyes is one of our important sense organ and an early and proper childrens eye care checkup is necessary. Even a minor negligence in treatment can lead to permanent visual impairment in near future.
Symptoms of eye problems in children
Children, at a very tender age often can’t understand that they are experiencing vision difficulties. Sometimes, they can’t express themselves properly to others. The problem may turn out to be severe vision problems after some time. It is important to keep an eye on your child. Bring them to visit an Optometrist or Peadiatric eye specialist if you notice any abnormalities, eye injury, experience sudden vision changes or other symptoms such as-
- Severe eye pain or irritation
- Blurry or double vision
- Swelling or redness in or around the eyes
- Discharge of blood or pus from the eyes
- Headaches or eye pain
- Unequal pupil sizes
- Problems with eye movement
Other symptoms noticed by guardians at home or while playing are:
- Poor school performance
- Not wanting to go to school
- Difficulty in paying attention
- Difficulty when reading and writing
- Trouble seeing information on the chalkboard
- Putting up longer than normal to complete homework.
Common eye disorders in children
Many vision problems in children can be detected during routine eye screening. Latest research shows that 1 out of 6 kids have vision-related issues these days especially due to increase in screen time. Some of the most common issues affecting the little ones include-
Refractive errors
When the vision is blurry or hazy, these errors occur. The most common eye problem for this is as follows:
- Myopia or nearsightedness, which is poor distance vision.
- Farsightedness or hyperopia, poor near-vision and is usually treated with glasses.
- Astigmatism, an abnormal curve of the front surface of the eye.
Amblyopia
Amblyopia, sometimes called lazy eye, occurs when vision in one or both eyes does not develop properly during childhood. It is reduced vision in one eye caused by abnormal visual development in early life. A common cause of lazy eyes is an imbalance in the muscles that position the eyes. Amblyopia in infancy requires urgent treatment to prevent permanent vision loss.
Strabismus
A misalignment of the eyes, commonly known as cross-eyed, causes eyes to glide so both eyes do not always aim at the same object. If one eye is misaligned, for a long time, amblyopia may develop in that eye. Healthy vision can be restored by patching the properly aligned eye and forcing the misaligned one to work harder with surgery or specially designed glasses.
Chalazion
A chalazion is a painless swelling on the upper or lower eyelid. It is often caused by blockage or swelling of an oil gland. Initially, it is painless, but if it gets infected, the swelling spreads to the entire eyelid and gets painful and covers the child’s pupil, further affecting the vision. It needs to be treated using eye drops, warm compress, surgical drainage, or removal.
Pink Eye
Pink eye or Conjunctivitis is a condition in which the white part of the eye gets red due to an infection, or allergy. It can be contagious and can cause itchiness in the eyes, tears, or sticky discharge. Usually, it goes away with any antibiotic eye drops, ointment or anti-allergy medicine, or lubricating eye drops.
Cataract in children
Not only adults, but children can also get cataracts. Some children are born with it. Due to cataracts, the eye appears cloudy and leads to blurred vision which later causes vision impairment. Based on the severity of the cataract, most children do need surgery in such cases.
Treatment
Skilled eye care professionals of Vision Space successfully examine any kind of eye abnormalities in children and provide treatment with modern equipment at a possible short duration. Some treatment processes are as follows
Eye examination
“Eye care professionals inspect eyes, and eyelids, and examine the various eye muscle movements, the pupils, and the reflection of light from the back of the eye.
Corneal light reflex testing
The light reflected from the cornea should be in sharp focus and centered on both pupils. The flashlight test result is abnormal if the corneal light reflex is not crisp and clear, or if it is off-center.
Age-appropriate visual acuity testing
“Using an eye chart, the examiner asks the child to read numerous lines of characters. It is important to test each eye separately to detect misalignment of the eyes and focus.
Precautions and prevention
- Keep your eyes clean. Wash any discharge using Saline or eyewash from your eyes several times a day using a fresh cotton ball or paper towel.
- Wash or change your pillowcase every day until the infection goes off.
- Don’t touch or rub your infected eye with your fingers. Use tissues to wipe.
- Don’t wear, and never share, eye makeup, eye drops, or contact lenses. Wear glasses until your eye heals.
- Protect your eyes from dirt and other things that irritate them.
- Nonprescription “artificial tears,” a type of eye drop, may help ease itching and burning from the irritating things that can cause pink eye.
Very serious eye problems can develop from negligence. Any abnormalities in the sight of the children today can be fatal for tomorrow. Vision Space Optometrist provides complete care for proper vision and good eye health with comprehensive eye exams performed by experienced optometrists using the latest eye care equipment.
At Vision Space, we want to be known to be providers of great service to our customers. We will go the extra mile to serve you for many years! We promise you to provide the best eye care possible by our team of trusted and passionate optometrists using the latest eye care equipment to keep your eyes healthy forever. Also, we constantly seek and source internationally for several types of eyewear that look great on you, is super comfortable, and enhance your personality. Kindly visit our official website to get the best eye care and the best eyewear as per your choices and preferences – http://www.visionspace.com.my/.