why you must have a yearly eye exam

Is Your Child Having Trouble With Eyesight?

Some parents do not realize that their child may have eye problems. Children have a harder time explaining what they see and how they feel, so you can't always count on your child to know that their eyesight is poor. Here are some signs to look for that will help indicate that your child needs an eye exam with a local optometrist:

1. Complaints of head pain or tiredness.

Children can experience headaches from eye strain. With poor eyesight comes squinting and staring at things more intensely. Eye strain can also make a child feel like he or she is tired. Your child may request to rest in the middle of the day or close their eyes periodically during the day to make their eyes feel better. 

2. Poor academic performance.

Your child may have trouble seeing the board, or if they have poor eye muscle control, your child might have trouble keeping a place in a book while reading, even when following along with a finger. Discouragement because of the difficulty can result in a lack of interest or effort. After getting evaluated, your child can get glasses or therapy to help improve eyesight for school work. 

3. Frequent rubbing of the eyes.

Your child may show signs of eye fatigue by pulling at the eyelids, rubbing the eyes frequently, or even trying to touch the eyes. Some children may say their eyes feel itchy or like there is something in their eyes they can't get out. 

4. Leaning closer to things to see them.

The final sign of poor eyesight in a child is the way they try to accommodate their world while having eye trouble. They might move books of pictures very close to their face in order to see what's written there. They might also always ask to sit close to the front of movie theaters or other concert-like shows. Children might want to sit very close to the television. 

5. Accidents.

Children with astigmatism and bad eyesight can have affected depth perception. They can also have trouble focusing on things that are moving, like a ball moving through the air. Catching things can be challenging. They might not see obstacles or they might be constantly falling down because they trip or bump into things. If your child seems okay but is very clumsy, getting their eyes tested should be a high priority. 

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