Eye health in children is key to enhancing their overall health and quality of life. If your child has vision problems, you’ll want to get the issues addressed early. Failure to treat eye problems can negatively impact your child’s development and well-being. Here are five vision problems in children and how your optometrist will treat them:
1. Myopia
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a vision problem that causes difficulty in seeing objects that are farther away (as they look blurry), while near objects appear clear. About 2.6% of children in the United States are likely to develop this problem. The condition runs in families, meaning if parents are nearsighted, kids are more likely to become myopic. Other common causes of myopia include spending long hours on the screens, vitamin D deficiency, and near esophoria. Myopia in children causes headaches, tiredness when playing sports, and shortened attention span.
Managing this problem will prevent other complications, like glaucoma and cataracts, from developing. Your optometrist may recommend several FDA-approved methods to reduce your child’s myopic progression. Soft lenses and atropine eye drops are the most common ways. Another effective method many optometrists use is orthokeratology. This method uses custom-designed molds that children can wear at night to reshape the cornea’s curvature over time.
2. Cataracts
Although rare in children, cataracts are among the leading causes of childhood blindness worldwide. It’s estimated that about 20,000 to 40,000 children are born each year with cataracts. This vision problem results from a progressive clouding of the eye’s lens. It creates an opaque area over the lens, preventing light rays from passing through it. Leaving cataracts untreated for an extended period may eventually cause blindness.
Cataracts can be unilateral (affecting one eye) or bilateral (affecting both eyes). Most congenital cataracts (present at birth) result from other eye or health issues. They can be present at birth due to a chromosome abnormality or a genetic cause like a metabolic disorder.
Children with cataracts usually struggle to read, bump into objects, and have difficulties focusing. Other signs and symptoms include double vision, lights appearing too bright, objects looking washed out, and colors appearing faded. An optometrist will examine your child’s eye and, if necessary, perform cataract surgery to restore eyesight.
3. Glaucoma
Childhood glaucoma is an eye problem caused by damage to an optic nerve. It results from an increased fluid pressure in the eye. Excessive pressure occurs when the aqueous humor (fluid in the eye) fails to drain properly. Glaucoma that starts at birth is called primary congenital glaucoma. Juvenile open-angle glaucoma usually develops after the age of three. There are various secondary causes of childhood glaucoma, such as eye trauma, inflammation, and cataract removal. Signs to look for include cloudy corneas, excessive tearing, eye pain, constantly red eyes, and vision loss.
Early diagnosis and treatment will help in combating this vision problem. Treatment options optometrists use include medications and surgery. Your optometrist may recommend oral medications or topical eye drops.
4. Diabetic Retinopathy
Diabetes-related retinopathy develops due to damage to the blood vessels in the retina. High blood sugar level in children with diabetes damages the vessels, leading to this complication. If not diagnosed or treated, this eye problem can cause vision loss or blindness. Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include dark areas in the vision or blurred vision.
Keep blood sugar levels in control and treat high blood pressure to prevent the development and progression of this condition. If your child has diabetic retinopathy, your optometrist may use treatment options like medication or surgery.
5. Dry Eye
Dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis) is a painful and irritating condition that makes the eyes feel hot or dry. The condition develops when the eyes fail to produce enough tears to protect them. It leaves the eyes dry and vulnerable to air.
There are many causes of dry eye in children. The most common triggers include allergies, frequent use of electronic devices, poor nutrition, and long-term contact lens wear. Symptoms associated with dry eye include eye redness, scratchy eyes, blurry vision, dry sensation, and light sensitivity.
Treatment options for dry eye disease depend on the severity of the problem. Optometrists may recommend prescription drops to combat this vision problem. They may also use Lipiflow, Blephex, and IPL (Intense Pulsated Light) to treat dry eyes.
Schedule an Appointment With Your Optometrist
Understanding visual problems that children experience can help in early diagnosis and treatment. It allows optometrists to prevent the development or progression of problems that could result in vision loss. Encourage your child to adopt preventive measures like adequate sleep, limiting screen time, and attending regular eye check-ups. Contact your optometrist today to schedule a check-up for eye issues.
