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 both children and adults, with over 50% 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 pediatrican 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 in 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. Contact us to help your child’s quality of life improve before your eyes!
Dr. Kapadia originally hails from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Brock University. He then went on to graduate with honors from the Michigan College of Optometry in 1998, where he specialized in contact lenses. After he graduated, Dr. Kapadia completed a one-year residency at the renowned Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Florida, where he focused on ocular diseases.
Dr. Kapadia graduated with honors from the Michigan College of Optometry in 1999, where she received the Wesley-Jessen award for Outstanding Work in Contact Lenses. During her studies, she also served as President of Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH), which works to improve the sight of millions of people in developing countries.
After growing up in Minersville, Pennsylvania, Dr. Price graduated from Susquehanna University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. Dr. Price continued her education at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry and completed her training in 2016. After graduation, Dr. Price spent her career studying advanced eye diseases and specialized Low Vision services and devices.
Dr. Morgan Kickliter grew up in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
Dr. Phillips earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of Georgia before achieving his Doctor of Optometry from the Southern College of Optometry. There, he served as Vice President of the Georgia Optometric Student Association and provided free and cost-reduced optometric care to underserved patients in Mexico and Belize with the Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity. He served his residency at Gainesville Eye Associates, focusing on ocular diseases.