7 Specific Eye Problems Found in Children
By the time your child grows older, annual exams are crucial to ensure that their eyes continue to develop normally and detect any changes in vision or ocular health.
This is why eye doctors recommend that children have a first comprehensive eye exam from six months of age to ensure that their eyes are developing normally. After going through this initial visit, it is recommended to bring your child for a second eye exam between ages 3-5, and then again before they enter first grade.
Specific Eye Problems in Children
Keeping a severe mind your child’s vision is maybe significantly more significant than observing your own, as regularly they can’t or don’t convey that there is anything off-base by any means.
It is especially important for young children who might have been born with an eye condition or severe refractive error and so have never known anything different. We see several other eye conditions and diseases that can affect a child’s vision:
1 Squint (strabismus)
Strabismus can be identified as turned eyes, crossed eyes, squint, or lazy eyes. It takes place when the eyes point in different directions. It seems as one eye is straight; the other may point in, out, up, or down.
You can notice it all the time, or it may come and go. This issue may be present at birth or appear later. This vision problem in the turned eye will not develop normally in babies and children with strabismus.
2 Congenital Cataracts
In infants, cataract develops in the first year of life. It is a kind of clouding of the eye’s natural lens and is present at birth. However, since many congenital cataracts are not detected at birth and are discovered within the first year of life, these two names refer to the same eye disease. They are commonly used interchangeably by eye doctors.
3 Astigmatism-Farsightedness-Nearsightedness
These three conditions, or refractive errors, are the most common eye problems in children and adults and are often caused by abnormalities in the eye’s surface that prevent light from properly being focused on the retina.
4 Amblyopia
The issue of amblyopia occurs when one eye gets lazy due to not seeing as clear an image as the other. The issues of strabismus, refractive error (incorrect focusing power), ptosis (droopy eyelid), and cataract are the most prevalent causes of amblyopia (clouding or opacity in the lens). If left unchecked, it might lead to severe visual loss.
5 Chalazion
This issue often mixes up with style in the early stages of its development. We can define a chalazion (plural: chalazia) as a “small eyelid swelling.”
It takes place in children when the glands in either the upper or lower eyelid become blocked. It can cause redness, swelling, and occasionally a pus-like discharge, always occurring along the edges of the eyelid.
6 Blocked tear duct (epiphora)
The children may have epiphora when the duct that drains tears from the eye to the nose becomes clogged. This issue of blocked tear ducts usually clears up on its own after a year. Still, this doesn’t happen, or the infection becomes a complication.
In that case, a minor surgical operation could be a solution because clogged tear ducts aren’t the only reason for moist eyes, so an eye check is necessary.
7 Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis is included in one of the most common eye infections and is where the conjunctiva becomes inflamed, provoking redness and irritation. It is a condition that can affect people of all ages but generally is contracted by children more frequently than adults.
It’s infectious, and – as any parent will know – youngsters will in general spread microorganisms and microbes among themselves more regularly than grown-ups do. Your child’s vision usually won’t be affected by conjunctivitis, but they may be susceptible to light while suffering from it.
Conclusion
If your child has not reached important developmental milestones or does not seem to see as expected for their age, it is important to schedule an eye specialist doctor exam to rule out any eye health conditions.
FAQs
What are the child’s eye problems symptoms?
Following are the signs that may indicate a child has a vision problem:
- Complaints of discomfort and fatigue.
- Frequent eye rubbing or blinking.
- Short attention span.
- Avoid reading and other close activities.
- Frequent headaches.
- Covering one eye.
- Tilting the head to one side.
- Holding reading materials close to the face.
What are eye muscle problems in childhood?
Strabismus can be inborn or develop during infancy. It’s usually due to a disorder with the muscles that move the eyes, and it runs through families. The majority of children with strabismus are diagnosed between the ages of one and four.
What is congenital eye disease?
The abnormal development of the eye during pregnancy causes congenital eye disorders. While genetic eye problems may be caused by a gene mutation or prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol, there is no known reason in many affected children.
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