Poor eyesight is a common problem all around the world. It often manifests in an individual’s childhood and worsens the longer the condition is undiagnosed. However, it can be difficult to know whether your child needs glasses or not. Fortunately, some signs provide clues and indicate the need for prescription glasses for kids.
If you’re worried that your kid might have eye problems but can’t seem to confirm, there are several signs that your child might need glasses.
Table of Contents
1. They Have Constant Headaches
One of the primary symptoms of eyesight problems is headaches. While headaches are common for kids and often are a common symptom for various physical ailments, constant headaches without additional symptoms are not. Headaches caused by poor eyesight are clinically termed ocular migraines.
The headaches occur due to the straining of the eyes, which happens automatically when a person with poor eyesight tries to focus on something. The eye nerves get stressed, which in turn causes the migraine to trigger. If left undiagnosed, these headaches can turn quite nasty as one gets older.
2. Their Performance at School Goes Down
A critical external indicator that you need to consider is whether your kid’s grades at school are going down. If your child sits in the middle or back of the classroom and has poor eyesight, naturally, they won’t be able to see the board and take notes, which can significantly hinder their academic performance.
At home, you should take notice whether they’re struggling with their homework as well. Poor eyesight is categorized into three subcategories: astigmatism, near-sightedness, and far-sightedness. In the case of near-sightedness, individuals have problems seeing things up close, while far-sighted people have the opposite problem.
3. They Cover One Eye to See
A common symptom of eyesight problems in young children is covering one eye to see. This is a surefire indicator of far-sightedness and double-vision. Considering this, if you see your kid doing this, then it’s reason enough to make an appointment with the eye doctor. If left unchecked, covering one eye to see with the other can result in amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye.
Lazy eye can be a difficult condition to cure based on how long the patient is used to it. It results in the weaker eye sloping inwards or outwards, which worsens the eyesight problem exponentially. Poor vision in one eye can also cause children to tilt their heads a lot, so keep an eye out for that as well.
4. They Are Sensitive to Light
High sensitivity to light is another strong indicator that your child might need glasses. Sensitivity to light, also known as photophobia, is a condition that makes an individual’s eyes sensitive to light, causing them to squint when exposed to bright light sources such as sunlight. If an individual or child with photophobia exposes themselves to light for too long, they get headaches.
Light sensitivity often requires the individual to wear special tinted protective glasses depending on the severity of the situation, as regular glasses provide little to no protection against bright lights. There are no permanent treatments for photophobia, but several long-term treatment options are available for your child if they suffer from the condition.
5. They Sit Close to the TV
Sitting too close to the TV is another common indicator that your child might have eyesight problems and is possibly nearsighted. If they can’t see clearly what’s happening on the TV from less than 10 feet away, they are probably having difficulty seeing things. This not only goes for TVs but other devices as well.
If your kid is already accustomed to using desktops, laptops, or computers, keep an eye out and see whether they are leaning forwards toward the screen when using these devices. Nearsighted children often get accustomed to bad posture due to poor eyesight, making it an important indicator for determining whether your child needs glasses or not.
Find a Solution Early Rather Than Later
If diagnosed and cared for properly in time, you can correct poor eyesight to a certain degree. Many people who follow the procedures and regulations to recover their eyesight from a young age often fix their eyesight by the time they’re in their early or mid-20s. So if your child is suffering from poor eyesight, determining it as soon as possible is the best thing for their future.
Featured
