As the new school year approaches, the main task of parents becomes the preventive check-up of children, and if they have vision problems, parents take care of a suitable measure of vision correction – glasses or contact lenses. What is important to pay attention to when making a decision?
The main causes of vision impairment in children
According to Irina Kozlovskaja, an ophthalmologist at Lirema Eye Clinic, vision correction measures – glasses or contact lenses – are mostly prescribed to children due to refractive errors – nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism – and not due to eye diseases. These vision disorders are very prevalent.
“For the eye to see well, light rays entering the eye must focus on the retina. If they focus in front of or behind the retina, the sight becomes blurred and corrective measures are needed to improve vision,” says the doctor.
When the view focuses in front of the retina, the patient is nearsighted, and when behind the retina – the patient is farsighted. Also, one of the vision disorders is astigmatism, when the shape of the lower surfaces of the eye is irregular, due to which the view distorts both near and far.
When it comes to these vision disorders, it is usually only myopia progresses. The frequency of farsightedness and astigmatism in the population does not change much over the decades, it even decreases as the child grows, while myopia is a problem that increases with age, and its percentage has doubled in a few decades”, I. Kozlovskaja notes negative trends.
According to her, the main reasons for the development of myopia are a decrease in the number of children outdoors, the choice of outdoor activities, increased time spent in front of intelligent screens, frequent short-distance activities, living in the city, education – when children read, write and study a lot.
What parents need to know
The first eye examinations are performed on infants. According to the description of the Children’s Health Examination Procedure, they undergo an examination of the red reflex of the fundus of the eyes.
“From the first to the third year is a difficult age when children start to fear the doctor, so it is more advisable to visit a specialist before the age of one so that there is less stress for the child, the doctor, and the parents. It is also recommended by The American Association of Ophthalmologists, which suggests coming to the consultation for the first time before one, and planning the second examination at the age of three to five, when it is easier to agree with the child”, advises the doctor.
Further, the child should be registered for examination according to the doctor’s instructions. At school age, preventive examinations should be planned annually.
According to I. Kozlovskaja, when it comes to the prevention of weakened eyesight, if the child is not creative or curious enough, does not show a desire to go outside, parents should try to come up with outdoor activities for him or, setting an example, engage in them together.
“Now it is possible to discover not only sports that have never been tried but also games that have never been seen, so parents should be careful and develop an awareness of a healthy lifestyle and encourage child’s interest from a young age,” the specialist points out.
Parents also should control the learning process when children look close-up for a long time, remind them to take a break, direct attention to something else, and rest their eyes from strained viewing.
How to understand that a child has poor vision and what to do
I. Kozlovskaja says various signs can indicate a child’s deteriorating eyesight. For example, he often squints, looks with his head turned or bent, rubs his eyes, and keeps trying to find the right place for objects – he holds them either too close or too far.
“A child may not say that he has weak vision, but he may notice that he saw poorly a friend’s notebook or the electronic board – paying attention to such complaints is necessary. He may also begin to complain of eye fatigue or headache,” the doctor notes.
Also, parents need to pay attention if their children are no longer interested in an activity they used to like – for example, they no longer want to read or draw. It may indicate that child lost interest due to poor vision.
“Vision disorders are very different, so it is important to determine the problem first. For example, in the case of myopia, it is necessary to stop its progress by choosing suitable measures of vision correction”, the specialist shares her experience.
According to her, drops, special contact lenses, or glasses can also be prescribed. Of course, it is also important to change a lifestyle – as mentioned, spend more time outside, eat healthier, move, and take more frequent breaks while looking at the same distance.
“Farsightedness tends to decrease with age, and it can be related to focusing problems or strabismus, so in this case, it is important to consult a doctor rather than trying to solve the problem with glasses,” points out I. Kozlovskaja.
Astigmatism is a vision disorder that usually rarely changes during life. It can vary slightly to one side or the other, but it usually remains stable, but again, only a specialist can advise how to improve vision.
What is important to know when choosing a vision correction measure for a child
“When choosing first glasses, paying attention to the frame and lens options is important. The first glasses usually change quickly, so it is not worth investing a lot in them, but if the child is active, likes to do sports or play energetically, parents should think about more resistant, polycarbonate glasses to reduce the possibility of injuries”, says I. Kozlovskaja.
According to her, talking about frames, if the child is young, in preschool age, it is likely that he will quickly outgrow the frame. For children of this age, silicone frames with rubber bands are usually recommended for good fit and comfort, and beauty plays the least important role here.
“If the child is older, it is possible to include him in choosing a frame, in which case the probability that the child will wear glasses honestly will increase. Choosing durable frames made of flexible material that fit the face properly is recommended. An optics specialist can help to choose exactly such frames,” advises the doctor.
There are rare indications when, for example, after the removal of cataracts in childhood or a significant difference in vision between the left and right eyes, infants or young children are prescribed contact lenses. Replacing them with glasses that would only partially correct vision is impossible in such cases.
“Sometimes, when myopia progresses significantly, and other vision correction measures are no longer suitable, special contact lenses are recommended for children to prevent, treat, and correct myopia. The decision to wear contact lenses can also be made due to motivation – contact lenses do not change the child’s appearance when he needs vision correction, and children do not want to wear glasses. Other children do not notice the contact lenses, so the child willingly wears them”, the ophthalmologist shares her experience with young patients.
According to her, if the child is active, plays sports, attends football, basketball, or other activity, contact lenses can also be a more acceptable measure of vision correction than glasses. In this case, the field of vision is not limited, the child feels free, and the lenses do not fog up or get wet in the rain.
“The main disadvantage of contact lenses is that they are a foreign body in the eye, greatly increasing the risk of infection. The eye can be harmed by microbes that are not particularly dangerous when not wearing lenses, such as mould, amoeba, and could not easily enter the eye”, warns I. Kozlovskaja.
When children wear contact lenses, parents are responsible for their hygiene, and hygiene skills become very important. Taking great care of the lenses is essential – take them out in time, ensure that they and the liquid are not used after the expiration date, and that the container for storing them is clean.
“Putting in or taking out contact lenses is also not always acceptable and convenient for children. When wearing contact lenses, if the child’s eyes become red, it cannot be attributed to eye fatigue, but it is necessary to consult a specialist immediately,” concludes the doctor.