A few decades ago it was considered a stigma for children to wear eyeglasses. Now, however, with the wealth of trendy frames just made for children, these are oftentimes looked at as a fashion accessory.
The problem now, in this day and age, is that it is still difficult for parents to ascertain whether their child needs glasses. Children can be born with vision problems but because they have never seen “normally” are not aware many times that they do not have normal vision.
Children also are not very good at expressing themselves and this becomes a dilemma for parents in judging whether their child might need glasses. We’d like to shed a little light on this problem and help parents to judge whether glasses for their child are needed.
5 Telltale Signs Your Child Needs Glasses
While there might be more than 5 ways to tell if your child needs glasses, these are the most common signs:
1. Squinting
Everyone, including children and even babies, squints sometimes. Lack of light, too much light in a location, or direct sunlight can cause squinting.
However, if your child squints at the television routinely, or at toys, friends, food, or even you when the light is optimal, then this is a great sign that glasses might be needed since a refractive error may exist. If an older child squints while reading, it is almost a sure sign that glasses are needed.
2. Head tilting
When a child tilts their head when looking at objects it very well might be that the vision in one eye is not as sharp as the other eye.
Children compensate for deficiencies rather than complain about them as being children they do not know if or when deficiencies are present.
Children might also take to covering one eye to see out of the other only. This can occur with a misalignment of one or both eyes, and “lazy eye” which is a common occurrence in children, is very common.
“Lazy eye” simply means that one eye is not focusing properly due to lesser coordination of brain signals and can be corrected via glasses.
3. Rubbing their eyes
This can mean a need for glasses as children will rub their eyes trying to reduce cloudy or unfocused vision. The constant eye strain brought on by poor vision can also cause eye rubbing in children.
While certain diseases can cause eye rubbing, a common cause is poor vision, and correcting this with glasses will assist immensely. Most children rub their eyes when exposed to dirt, pollen, or other irritants.
They also rub their eyes when tired before bedtime. But constant eye rubbing with no obvious cause can signal the need for glasses as eye fatigue is setting in.
4. Frequent headaches
This is a clear sign that glasses are needed. Eye strain causes headaches in the front of the head and older children will complain. Younger ones can become cranky and rub their foreheads, indicating a headache.
If this happens often, it is good to have a vision checkup and rule out problems that are possibly causing headaches. Other problems besides poor eyesight can cause headaches but frequent headaches can raise the suspicion that glasses are needed.
5. Poor school performance
Many schools provide vision screening, but some do not. One of the indications of needed glasses is poor school performance. Without seeing well, a child cannot read well and will struggle in school.
Even school activities might suffer, and your child becomes shy because their vision is impaired. School can be tough on kids, without the added burden of poor vision.
While a younger child might not show poor performance in pre-school, as the activities there are generally easy. However, once in kindergarten and beyond, poor vision can easily become a much larger problem.
In addition to grades slipping because of the need for glasses, children can oftentimes label themselves as not bright or not as intellectual as others. Glasses can help ensure this does not happen!
Conclusion
Some signs are more subtle than others but without good vision, children can suffer needlessly.
With the astounding array of stylish glasses now available for children of all ages, and the lack of social stigma that existed years ago, getting a routine vision check is common if you suspect your child may need glasses. Children can now enjoy wearing glasses as so many attractive options exist.
Frustration in school and activities, as well as avoidance of school and activities can happen when children have poor vision. Glasses can make childhood a joy again when a parent determines, with the help of a professional, that glasses are needed.
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