Common Signs Your Child May Need an Eye Exam

Good eyesight is vital for reading, walking, playing, driving, and other activities crucial to life. Children require a clear vision to enjoy life and meet school demands. Most children do not understand they have eyesight problems and often assume low vision is normal. As a parent, you can identify signs that your child is struggling with their vision. 

Constant Squinting

If your child constantly squints when looking at images or objects, it may indicate an eyesight problem. Your child may squint when looking at the classroom board or watching TV. Squinting provides sharper or clearer vision by limiting the light that enters the eye. The incoming light focuses directly on the center of the retina. Squinting is a common sign of myopia or nearsightedness. 

Difficulty Reading

If your child is reading below grade level, it may indicate an eye problem. Skipping lines when reading, losing their place, or using a finger to keep track are all signs of vision issues. Poor eyesight can make reading difficult and affect your child's academic performance. Sometimes, children develop behavioral problems due to their inability to read properly. An eye exam will help identify and correct the issue. 

Frequent Headaches

If your child suffers from frequent headaches, it could be due to eyesight problems. Children with hyperopia (farsightedness) or astigmatism are susceptible to headaches after performing near-vision tasks. Reading, doing homework, or using the computer usually causes the eye muscles to strain. When eye muscles work harder to focus on images, it results in headaches.

Excessive Eye Rubbing

Most people rub their eyes when tired, especially after performing up-close tasks like reading. Constant or excessive eye rubbing can signify that your child needs an eye exam. Eye rubbing is usually an attempt to reduce blurry vision in young children. If your child rubs their eyes when doing homework or focusing on near images, it may indicate a vision problem. 

Closing One Eye 

If your child closes one eye when reading or using a digital device, it may indicate an eye issue. It may indicate the two eyes are not working together correctly. It can signify a refractive error or a binocular vision issue, such as convergence insufficiency. Closing one eye allows the stronger one to send clear images to the brain. It results in clearer vision. 

Poor Coordination 

If your child appears clumsy or has poor coordination, they may need an eye exam. Bumping or tripping into things may indicate your child has a vision issue. Poor coordination could mean your child's eye-brain communication is not working properly.

The child may have difficulties measuring distances. If your child loves sitting close to the TV, it may be time to schedule an eye exam. Holding books or digital devices close to their eyes can indicate an inability to see clearly.

If the child has myopia, proximity reduces the need to squint to see clearly. A comprehensive eye exam helps detect vision problems and other eye conditions. The exam does more than vision screening by detecting issues such as convergence insufficiency. 

For more common signs your child may need an eye exam, visit SpecTakular Boutique at our Dawsonville, Georgia office. Call (706) 216-7732 to schedule an appointment today.