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Understanding eye health is important for recognising the signs that your child might have visual problems and as a result, need glasses. Children may require glasses for several reasons, for example, if they have a weak or amblyopic (lazy) eye, if they have strabismus (crossed or misaligned eyes), or more commonly, if they have poor vision in one or both eyes.
School-aged children generally struggle if they have the eye condition myopia, or, shortsightedness. If your child is struggling to read the whiteboard in class or sitting close to the television they may be myopic. People who are myopic or shortsighted can see things clearly up close but struggle with seeing things at a distance. Children who are hyperopic (longsighted) or have a binocular vision dysfunction often require glasses for near tasks such as reading and writing. These children often hold reading material close when they read. They possibly close an eye when reading and they may trombone the book close then far to make things clear.
Here are a few signs that indicate that your child might need glasses:
- Eye rubbing: excessive eye rubbing may be an indicator that your child is experiencing eye fatigue or strain. This can be a sign of many different types of vision problems.
- Headaches or sore eyes: if your child is complaining about having sore eyes or a headache at the end of the day or after school, they may be overexerting their eyes trying to focus on reading material.
- Squinting: if your child is squinting a lot, particularly when reading or writing, it may be a sign that they are longsighted or have a binocular vision dysfunction.
If you have concerns about your child needing glasses, our optometrists are well equipped to examine their eyes and identify the cause of their visual problems. So whether it’s blurred vision when reading or uncertainty regarding your child’s ability to see the board, we are here to help. You can get in contact with our friendly team by calling (03) 9909 5329 or complete our online form.