How Do I Know If My Child Has Myopia?

More than 40 percent of Americans have myopia. In the past 40 years, this percentage increased by 25 percent. The increase was because children below three years old were diagnosed with nearsightedness.

Unfortunately, many parents do not understand myopia completely. They also do not know how to tell if their child is suffering from nearsightedness. The lack of knowledge can lead to further progression of the treatment. If left undetected, it can worsen the child’s vision. The first step to protecting your child from long-term damage from nearsightedness is to know the signs that show they have myopia. Read to learn more.

Constant Headaches

A common way to know your child is experiencing vision problems is if they complain of headaches most of the time. Track the frequency of their symptoms to understand the severity of the issue.

Sometimes, headaches occur due to barometric pressure changes or allergies. But if the headaches occur more than once in one week, the child needs medical help. You should schedule an appointment with a specialist who can get your child’s vision checked.

Eyes Watering Excessively

Myopia causes a lot of discomfort to the eyes. As a result, you may notice that your child has watery eyes most of the time. Most parents confuse this reaction with allergies or irritation. However, it may be nearsightedness if the eye-watering is excessive and consistent.

Closing One Eye When Reading

Your child could have myopia if they cover or close one eye when reading. Doing so is a sign that they are having difficulties with their vision. They often use this tactic to overcome blurred vision. Closing one eye helps give clarity and overcome any discrepancy between both eyes.

Holding Objects Close to the Eyes

You can tell your child struggles to see when they hold things close to their face. You can know they have myopia if they cannot see objects at a distance. Most of them complain about not seeing the board in class. They will also sit close to the television whenever watching their favorite shows.

Squinting

Children often correct their vision by squinting if their eyes find it difficult to focus. Doing so causes a brief temporary change to their tensed eye muscles. As a result, they get short-lived vision clarity.

Rubbing Eyes

If your child has headaches and myopia symptoms giving them so much discomfort, you will notice that they will constantly rub their eyes. Rubbing eyes may also happen due to digital eyestrain. If your child spends a lot of time using blue light-emitting devices, they may rub their eyes often. You can try to reduce their screen time to observe whether they will stop rubbing their eyes. If you notice the discomfort is still persistent, make an appointment with their eye doctor to get their vision assessed.

If you notice that your child is exhibiting any of the mentioned symptoms, prioritize their vision health. Untreated myopia can worsen. Hence, seek immediate medical help so you can help relieve their discomfort to give them a clear vision.

To know if your child has myopia, visit Manchester Eyecare at our office in North Manchester, Indiana. Call (260) 306-3937 to schedule an appointment today.