Do you know how to determine if your child may have vision problems? Sometimes it can be very obvious, but other times they may not be able to communicate with you that something is in fact wrong. How do you figure out what is going on? Read below about signs of how the eye appears, specific behaviors your child may show, and things your child may say. These should help you determine if you need to bring them in to see a doctor or not.
Eye Appearance:
- Eyes not lining up properly—one eye turns in or out.
- Eyelids are red, crusty, or swollen
- Eyes are red or watery
Behavior:
- Rubbing eyes all the time
- Covers or closes an eye
- Tilts head to side or pushes head forward, especially when watching television
- Holds book too close or too far away
- Blinking often
- Becomes cranky when forced to do reading or other close work
- Squints or frowns
- Disinterest in reading or viewing distant objects
- Eyes tend to wander
Your Child Says:
- “My eyes itch”
- “My eyes are burning”
- “My eyes are on fire”
- “My eyes feel scratchy like something’s in them”
- “I can’t see that very well”
Eye safety is also just as important as eye health. Did you know eye injuries are the leading cause of vision loss in children? When children participate in sports, play games, work on crafts or even help their parents with certain home projects, it’s important for them to know eye safety practices and use protective glasses as needed.
Another huge problem that affects children’s eye health are chemicals that are kept in the home. Chemicals should always be kept in locked cabinets or high enough that they are out of reach of children. its also important to educate your children on why chemicals are dangerous in case they ever do come into contact with them.
Source: https://www.kars4kids.org/blog/health-safety/august-childrens-eye-health-safety-month/