As a parent you have many thoughts and concerns on your mind every day. Your child’s eyesight may slip your mind occasionally, but it is something you should be paying attention to. The beginning of the school year is always the best time to schedule eye exams for the entire family.
Here are some of the tell-tale signs your child might need glasses:
• Head Tilt: Children with an eye muscle imbalance may tilt their head
• Covering an Eye: Children experiencing double vision when reading or watching television may cover an eye.
• Difficulty Reading:If your child skips line or seems to lose their place while reading this is a sign they could have astigmatism.
• Squinting and Eye Rubbing: There are a number of eye and sight issues that can cause a child to squint or rub their eyes.
• Headaches: Complaints of headaches can mean there are vision issues such as dry or watery eyes.
• Difficult seeing the Board or TV: An obvious problem may exist if your child has trouble seeing the board at school or while watching television. As well they might have trouble seeing things like the number on their school bus, on their locker or storage nook, etc.
• Bad Behaviour: If your child’s teacher reports poor behaviour this can also be a sign there is an issue with eye sight.
Avoiding Eye Problems
Unfortunately there is not much you can do to prevent your child from becoming near sighted, far sighted or from having astigmatism, but the best way to ensure healthy eyes to have them checked annually. Common vision problems can appear in children from the day they were born to age 15. It is important that you monitor their vision closely, and look for the signs and symptoms, as well as ensure they have a maximum amount of screen time per day. Regular eye exams can help you catch common vision problems before they cause serious issues such as headaches, or begin to interfere with your child’s performance and behaviour at school.