Myopia, often referred to as nearsightedness, is an eye disease in which the eye elongates, causing light to be focused in front of the retina instead of on the retina’s surface. Essentially, your child’s eye is growing too long.
Because the eye elongates and grows with the rest of the body, naturally, it stops elongating once the rest of the body stops growing in early adulthood. This also means there may be times in a child’s development where they experience growth spurts — suddenly requiring a higher prescription due to an increase in their myopia.
It can affect children and adults, with more than 50 percent of American teenagers being myopic according to this journal.
Here are some ways to recognize the signs and symptoms of myopia in children.
Consistent Headaches
Headaches can be a common system of vision problems, it is important to track how often your child is experiencing symptoms of headaches. Some headaches may be a result of allergy symptoms or pressure changes, but they could also be a direct result of nearsightedness. If your child is experiencing more than one headache per week, do schedule an appointment with an optometrist or pediatrician to try and get your vision checked for myopia.
Excessive Eye-Watering
Excessive eye-watering can also be a symptom of myopia, given that it can result in discomfort in the eyes. If your child experiences consistent and excessive eye-watering, do schedule an appointment with an optometrist to get your vision checked.
Excessive Squinting
If your child is squinting excessively, it might also be a symptom of myopia. This is due to the fact that humans suffering from myopia squint as a result of changes in the tension of their eye muscles, providing them with brief clarity of vision. Thereby, it should be easy to spot individual suffering from nearsightedness if he or she engages in excessive squinting.
Holding Objects Close to Their Face
Another glaring symptom to look for if wondering is if your child constantly holds objects closer to their face to see them properly. This is a clear symptom of nearsightedness which may be caused by excessive usage of screen time.
Consistent Rubbing Of Eyes
When dealing with a young child that might potentially have myopia, they might often rub their eyes as a sign of discomfort. If you notice that your child excessively and consistently rubs their eyes, it might be a sign to schedule a consultation with the optometrist to have their vision assessed.
Sitting Very Close to the TV
You might find your child sitting too close to the TV than they normally do. The most apparent sign that your child may have myopia, especially for older kids, is if they grumble about the images on the TV screen looking unclear or blurry, or if they tell you they have issues reading the words shown on screens.
Let TreeHouse Eyes Help Your Child Manage Myopia
Treehouse Eyes offer customized contact lenses and special prescription eye drops, and our doctors develop personalized treatment plans for each child. We will be able to determine which treatment plan works the best for your child at the first consultation with your Treehouse Eyes doctor. Schedule a consultation now to find out more.
You can prevent serious, sight-robbing eye diseases by scheduling your child’s myopia consultation with us today. Visit VisionQuest Eyecare and help your child’s quality of life improve before your eyes!
Dr. Chris Browning is a Greenwood native, who has been serving the community through glaucoma care and myopia management. He studied at Indiana University Bloomington and the Indiana University School of Optometry. As he has severe nearsightedness himself, Dr. Browning is passionate about helping others to achieve excellent vision.