Looking after your Child's vision

Children need to have regular eye check-up, especially before they start school or during kindergarten. If your child is spending time in front of digital devices or reading a lot, then they also need to be regularly checked.

Does your child(ren) have any of the below symptoms or signs?

Short-sightedness/myopia

If you or your partner has glasses to see far away (myopia), it is more likely that your child will also develop myopia.

The most obvious symptom of myopia is that your child complains of being unable to see far away. I.e. The whiteboard at school or street signs are hard to see.

They may also:

• Sit closer to the TV
• Hold books and devices closer to their face
• Scrunch their eyes and blink often to see more clearly

Long-sightedness/hyperopia

Headaches or soreness around the eyes and forehead can be a sign of stress keeping eyes focused for near. This can be due to long-sightedness (hyperopia) or difficulty working the eyes together comfortably.

Other signs include:

• Eye rubbing
• Tired looking eyes especially after school
• Words jumping or look blurred on the page
• Taking a long time to finish homework
• Avoidance of near activities which need prolonged/ sustained near focus are other signs to look out for.

If your child’s teacher has mentioned that your child is easily distracted, cannot concentrate and complete lessons or is not progressing at school as expected, these could also be vision related.

Summary:

As the amount of study increases during school years, it is important for your child to have regular eye checks ups to ensure they have been set up for success.

If needed, eye exercises and/or glasses may be recommended which can make reading to learn a more comfortable and enjoyable activity.

At Eyekonic Optometry we can assess how much effort is required to keep vision clear and comfortable. Book an appointment, for your child, with one of our friendly optometrists today at: https://www.eyekonic.com.au/online-booking-system.html