There are obvious signs that your child is struggling with their vision, such as a clear eye turn or if they complain to you that they are struggling. However, there are less obvious signs that may indicate an underlying vision or eye issue. We will go through some of them below.
Squinting
If your child is squinting, they may be doing so to temporarily clarify their vision, which is an indication that they should have their eyes tested. On the other hand, they may simply be squinting if they are sensitive to glare, in which case changes to their environments to reduce such glare can help. However, it is still strongly recommended that they have their eyes tested to rule out a need for glasses.
Eye rubbing
Your child may be rubbing their eyes for various reasons, including eye strain, allergies, dry eyes, foreign bodies, styes or conjunctivitis.
When your child experiences eye strain, they may rub their eyes to alleviate the dull ache/strain, or when something is irritating the surface of your child’s eyes, your child may rub their eyes to relieve the itching/irritation.
It is best to address this issue sooner rather than later, as constant rubbing of the eyes can lead to the development of astigmatism, and in more advanced cases, conditions like keratoconus.
Holding things too close
Many children like to hold phones or books too close to their face to get immersed into the action. However, they may also be doing this if they are struggling to see the finer details. You should encourage your child to hold the phone or book at half an arm’s length away from their face. If they are struggling to maintain clear and comfortable vision at this distance, it would be a good idea to have their eyes tested.
Headaches
There are many different types of headaches that can be caused by either eye and non-eye related issues. Headaches caused by vision issues typically occur above the eyebrows. However, headaches that occur in different locations can indicate issues with the eyes too, particularly the health of the eyes. Because there are so many different causes of headaches, if your child is experiencing severe or regular headaches, then it is best to see us or your doctor for further investigation.
Excessive blinking
Excessive blinking can indicate an ocular surface issue (dry eyes, allergies), vision issues or even an eye turn. A non-eye related cause can be a habitual tic. To determine and manage the cause of your child’s excessive blinking, it is best for them to have their eyes tested.
Reading slower, mixing letters, skipping letters/lines
If your child is mixing letters, skipping letters and lines, or slow when reading, it may indicate vision issues, tracking issues or even dyslexia. However, it is always important to rule out vision and tracking issues first, as there is a possibility this may be easily fixed with glasses or vision training.
