Pediatricians, as well as eye doctors, emphasize the importance of vision screening. The vision of children is not yet fully developed. It is vulnerable to eye diseases because it is still developing. A healthy vision can develop if eye diseases and conditions are managed.
If your child undergoes vision screening, it can help in detecting and finding problems in their vision. It is important to detect any occurring infection, refractive error, and misaligned eyes because it can affect negatively or harm our vision. To protect your child’s vision, have their vision screening in regular intervals.
- Strabismus or crossed eye can cause double vision if left treated.
- Ptosis can block your child’s vision because of the droopy eyelid. Surgery may be needed to preserve the vision in your child’s eye.
- Cataracts can be present in your child’s eye wherein surgery is needed to remove it so they can see clearly.
- A blocked tear duct occurs when the tears do not normally drain which causes your child’s eye to be watery and irritated.
Eye Diseases in Children That Can Lead to Vision Loss
If a child is having trouble looking at near distances, far distances, or both, refractive error may be present which causes blurry vision to occur. A refractive error in your child’s vision can be corrected with prescription glasses that fit their eye.
If these errors are not corrected for a long time, it can lead to vision loss and develop a condition called amblyopia or lazy eye. It occurs when the vision did not normally develop during childhood and when refractive errors, strabismus, droopy eyelids, or cataracts are left untreated.
Eye Conditions in Children Caused by an Infection
Conjunctivitis or pink eye is one of the common eye conditions in children. Pink eyes can be viral or bacterial which means it is contagious, or allergic which means it is not contagious. Red, itchy, and sticky discharge may occur when your child has pink eyes.
Let your child stay at home if he/she has a contagious pink eye. It usually resolves on its own in a week but antibiotic eye drops may be prescribed by a doctor.
A stye is caused by a bacterial infection which results in a sore and red lump at the edge of the eyelid. Warm compress is the used treatment to treat a stye.
A chalazion is not an eye condition that is caused by an infection. It occurs when the oil gland is clogged. Warm compress is also used in treating chalazion at home.
