The 3 Common Signs That Your Child Needs Eyeglasses
It’s not always easy to know when a child is having problems. When it comes to vision, we can’t know what they are seeing so sometimes we don’t realize that they are having vision problems and need kids glasses. Unless they are old enough to specifically tell you that they are having trouble seeing then we can only assume there is no problem.
There are some signs to look out for, however, that let us know that they do actually need an eyeglass prescription. Knowing what these signs are is very important so that they are not going through life with poor vision. That could impact their future eye health as well as their education as it could cause struggles with their studies. In this article, we will go over several signs to look out for concerning your child’s vision.
1 – They struggle to read
When children are just starting to learn to read they will appear to struggle. This is normal since they are at the beginning stages. However, there should be some progression over time. If there isn’t and it seems that they are struggling then it could actually be because they can’t see the words well and not because they are behind in their development.
Pay attention to how they are looking at the book while they read. If they have to point to the word because they keep losing their place then this could be a sign. Also, if they move the book further away or closer to their face then this could mean that they are having trouble focusing on the words.
This should be a red flag that has you making an appointment with an eye doctor.
2 – Frequent tearing up
Kids can often have teary and watery eyes a lot of the time. Sometimes this is due to allergies or conjunctivitis. There are times when there is another medical explanation that relates to their vision and is impacting their ability to see clearly.
If the watery eyes don’t go away after a few days on their own then you can rule out conjunctivitis unless they also get very red eyes and a fever. After being checked and cleared for allergies then it is important to take the child to the eye doctor for an exam to see if there is some form of eye disease that is causing it. It is important to catch these things early.
3 – Frequent headaches and nausea
Kids don’t tend to get headaches regularly so if your child frequently complains about having one and it is followed by nausea then it is a good idea to have their eyes checked. Blurry vision will cause a strain on the eyes and result in headaches and this can bring on nausea. There could be other medical problems so go to a pediatrician right away.
Once they get the right prescription and can see clearly then the headaches will go away and they can get back to their normal routine.
