Source: https://www.miamicontactlens.com/
Due to a lack of proper nutrition, many young children are getting diagnosed with poor vision. If you suspect that your child has a vision problem, get it checked with a licensed doctor at the earliest.
With the advancement in contact lens technology, even children are wearing lenses with confidence. Always trust reputed brands like Lensme and Solflex for best results. Make sure to get the advice of your ophthalmologist before using any type of spectacles or contact lenses for your child.
But because many parents fear this diagnosis of a vision problem, many warning signs go unnoticed. Here are the few signs you should keep an eye out for:
- Holding books too closely to the eye, or sitting very close to the television or the computer screen.
- Squinting, blinking or closing one of the two eyes repeatedly.
- Tilting the head to try to see things better.
- Frequently rubbing the eyes while doing something.
- Frequent headaches.
- Increased sensitivity to light
- Poor hand-eye coordination
- Avoiding any close-up visual work or activities like reading
- Becoming irritated while doing any visual work.
- Eyes that appear misaligned, or crossed, or do not focus together.
- Redness in either eye, which does not seem to go away after a few days.
- Fluttering eyes, from side to side or up and down.
- Any pain in the eyes, or itchiness, discomfort.
- Drooping eyelids.
- A greyish white or white colour in the pupil.
- Pus in any of the eyes.
If you notice any of these symptoms, you must take your child to an ophthalmologist and get a proper evaluation done. Apart from this also, when you take your child to the pediatrician for regular checkups, any visual abnormalities or issues are referred to the ophthalmologist so that the proper diagnosis and treatment can be done.
While these are the warning signs to watch out for, there are several precautions as well, which you can take to ensure that your child’s vision remains uncompromised:
- Restricted Screen time: Young and developing eyes need to have the least screen time as possible. All digital devices such as TVs, telephones, computers, iPads, laptops, etc. should be limited to a maximum of 2 hours a day. This increases the risk of nearsightedness in kids.
- Sufficient Lighting: If your child is fond of reading, or any other activity which requires focus, you must ensure that your child’s room or play area must have sufficient, bright lighting. Dull or dim lights can put a lot of strain on the eyes.
- Periodic Check Ups: Ensuring regular eye checkups, apart from the overall health checkups is essential for growing children to prevent any vision problems. A comprehensive eye exam can even help nip the problem in the bud, if any.
- Proper Distance: When children are using any electronic devices or are engaged in using any screens, you must ensure that the child always maintains a proper distance between the eyes and the screen, to avoid any eye strain. The devices must be held at atleast an elbow’s length away from the eyes.
Keeping these precautions in mind, apart from a well-balanced diet full of vitamins and minerals, can help keep vision problems at bay for your child.
