Parents take care of their child’s every need and try their best to protect them from all illnesses and discomfort. You take your kids to paediatricians regularly and make sure that everything is alright. So why do you neglect their eye care unless it grows into an actually damaging issue that makes itself known? Why does my kid need an eye test? A complete and comprehensive exam to check the health and functionality of your child’s eye is very essential. In the early years, especially, your kids are dependent on you for most of the things. It is the same in case for their eye health and the proper care required for it. Your kid may not be able to speak or make you understand about any eye problem he/she is suffering. Be it blurred vision or irritation in the eye, a kid does not fully understand the severity of the problem without adult and professional help. This is why your child’s regular health check-up should also include an eye examination as well. Common problems detected in regular eye tests A lot of pediatric eye problems can be detected from regular examinations early on. This way the solution to the problems can be found and implemented early on too. Some of the most common issues found in kids eye exams are:
- Hereditary Eyesight Problems
A majority of eyesight related troubles are hereditary. So, if there is a history of people using glasses to see properly or other eye problems in your family, these types of problems have a big chance of being inherited by your child. Usually, parents and/or grandparents with poor eyesight pass on this trait to the younger generations as well. An ophthalmologist can detect such things in early childhood.
- Issues Solved With Corrective Glasses
Pediatric eye exams can easily detect the problems that can usually be solved with prescription glasses. Nearsightedness, medically known as myopia along with farsightedness, medically called hypermetropia, are detected and treated promptly. Similarly, astigmatism is also detected in the test and corrected with prescription glasses to improve your child’s vision.
- Lazy Eye
The medical condition called lazy eye usually starts developing since early childhood. Kids eye tests help in early detection and corrective treatment for this, so by the time your kid grows up, the issue is already resolved. Ophthalmologists treat it with the use of eye patch on the normal eye to force the lazy eye to function better. Related Articles: Know About Lazy EyesWho should get eye tests? Often there are situations that are prerequisites to the development of eyesight problems. If your child has experienced them or has shown the following symptoms, there is a high possibility that he/she needs for ophthalmologic attention:
- Premature Birth
- Slow motor skill development
- Red, watery or irritated eyes
- Rubbing the eyes frequently
- Poor ability to concentrate on or track objects
- Excessively blinking eyes
If you identify any other symptoms or eyesight related habits that are out of the ordinary, make sure that you take your child for an eye examination. While taking care of a problem when it arises is good, one should not really wait for problems to crop up. Eye care should also be prioritized along with other healthcare areas for kids with regular eye examination being one of the top ways to do so.
