Signs That Suggest Your Child
May Need an Eye Check-up

Vision problems in children in the formative years of their life can have a negative impact on their development. With a shift towards digital education, increased screen time has caused an increased incidence of Myopia

One in four school-age children have a vision impairment. Observing their environment, people, reading, writing, and studying are just some of the ways children learn visually.

Children deserve the best eye care so they may enjoy all the earth has to offer.
However, they may have difficulty recognising they have a vision issue or may not be able to explain their eye difficulty. As a result, the eye problems in children often go undiagnosed for a long time, leading to eye strain, frequent headaches, avoidance of reading or schoolwork.

What are the signs of a weak eyesight?

1. Difficulty while reading

   Books, homework, school and other activities all require reading. Vision problems may present indirectly – such as sudden disinterest in school- as they cannot follow what’s happening. Difficulty in reading, especially if dyslexia has been ruled out, may also point to vision difficulties.

   • Missing words, Skipping lines, Reading at an uneven or staggering pace- especially with smaller font

   • Seem disinterested in reading related activity

   • Holding other screens and objects too close or too far from the eyes

   • Hear them complain of not being able to see the blackboard at school

   • Squinting eyes excessively

   • Excessive rubbing of eyes

   Reading trouble can also easily show up in their school performance and their grade as well, so watch out for their academic performance as that might help catch an undiagnosed eyesight problem in children.

2. Difficulty playing sports

   Playing games and other sports activities, especially outdoor games such as badminton, play catch, cricket and others require a clear vision, good hand-eye coordination, and judging distances. These can be difficult if your children’s eyesight is weak or blurry.

   If you see your child missing catches, bumping or tripping over objects, or having difficulty judging distances, it could be a vision disorder or eyesight issue which needs immediate attention. In such a case you should get your child tested for their vision by a childrens eye specialist.

3. Frequent Headaches and other symptoms

   Frequent headaches for which no other cause can be found or watering and discharge from eyes also are symptoms of vision problems among people of all ages.

   Listen to your child if they complain about any such symptoms.

4. Obvious Eye defects

   Any deviation of one or both the eyes (Squint), drooping of eyelids (ptosis), white reflex from the pupil or very large eyes (congenital glaucoma) are other eye problems young children may face. It is best for your child if our child eye specialist sees such young patients as early as possible.

What should you do?

1. Listen to the child. Don’t ignore your child’s signs assuming that they are avoiding school work or throwing a tantrum. Being the child’s caretaker, you are the best person to observe anything different or unusual in your child’s behaviour.

2. Get their eyes tested early.
   If there are no obvious vision problems, the first child eye checkup should be done at 3-4 years of age, i.e just before they join school. After this, yearly visits to the child eye doctor ensures that a problem doesn’t go unrecognised and gets treated in time.

3. Even if your child fails to report an eye issue or you miss noticing it, a child eye specialist shall be able to catch the problem and provide timely eye treatment for children.

4. You can get a child eye test done at Shroff Eye Centre near you. Our clinics are in Delhi, Gurgaon & Ghaziabad where Child Eye Care Specialists are available. Our pediatric ophthalmologists are the amongst the best in the country and we also have the latest technology to diagnose and care for your child at affordable prices.

   to get your child’s eye check-up done and ensure a healthy, bright, and clear vision and future for your child.

Disclaimer : This information is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advise of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard in a video or read about in a blog or website.