The Most Common Pediatric Eye Problems
Your child’s vision is extremely crucial to their development. You may not realize it, but having poor vision can alter their development in some significant ways, especially once they start school. Almost 20% of children develop eye problems before age 18.
Even young children should regularly get eye exams, even if they don’t need glasses yet. At Eye Q Optique, we can detect any potential problems early, which means your child can be treated as soon as possible. As your expert team of providers, we explain more about some of the most common pediatric eye problems.
Refractive errors
The most common refractive errors in children are astigmatism (blurred or distorted vision), myopia (nearsightedness), and hyperopia (farsightedness).
You can tell that your child has one of these types of vision issues if they have any of the following behaviors:
Frequent head-tilting or squinting
Headaches or eye strain
Sitting very close to the television
Holding books or computer tablets or smartphones close to their face
Fortunately, any refractive errors are usually very easily corrected with glasses.
Amblyopia
Amblyopia is also more commonly known as “lazy eye.” It can sometimes go undiagnosed because the stronger eye makes up for the weaker eye.
Signs of amblyopia include:
Difficulty reading, doing math, or playing sports
Difficulty with attention and focus
Frequently closing one eye
Rubbing eyes frequently
Head tilting or squinting
If your child has any of these symptoms, bring them in for an eye exam as soon as possible.
Convergence insufficiency
Convergence insufficiency occurs when both eyes don’t work together as well as they should due to a problem with near vision and eye-muscle coordination.
Symptoms might include:
Difficulty with attention and focus
Double-vision
Blurred vision
Headaches
Homework avoidance
Motion sickness or vertigo
Reading below grade level
This condition is treatable.
Nystagmus
There are two main types of nystagmus — congenital and acquired. Congenital nystagmus means that the condition is present at birth, whereas acquired nystagmus usually develops around 6 months or so. Signs to watch for include their eyes rapidly moving from side to side, up and down, or around in a circle.
Crust or “goop” in the eyes
There can be several reasons why your child might have crusty or “goopy” eyes. One cause is blepharitis, which is an inflammation of the oil glands in your child’s eyelids. A blocked tear duct can also cause crusty eyes. Pink eye is another potential cause of crusty or goopy eyes.
Itchy or watery eyes
If your child frequently experiences itchy or watery eyes, they may have seasonal or environmental allergies. People with eye allergies often also have nasal allergies.
If it seems like your child may have a problem with his or her eyes, make an appointment at the location nearest you in Buffalo Grove or Chicago, Illinois, with one of our specialists at Eye Q Optique. Contact us today by phone during business hours or book online anytime day or night.