What are the most common eye defects?

Short-sightedness (myopia) - is a defect in which objects at a distance are blurred. If your child strains his or her eyes and looks at objects up close, and does not recognise familiar people from afar, you should see a specialist. The treatment of myopia requires suitable corrective lenses. Myopia most often occurs in school-age children.

Farsightedness (hypermetropia) - is a defect that involves blurred vision of objects that are close by.

Most common symptoms:

• the child moves toys away from him/her because he/she can see them better from a distance,
• sits far away from the television,
• stumbles over objects,
• reading is tiring, headaches often occur.

The defect develops in early childhood and requires treatment and the wearing of glasses.

Astigmatism - a defect in which vision is distorted. The child holds objects close to the face and often has headaches. Treatment requires the wearing of appropriate corrective glasses. Astigmatism often occurs with nearsightedness or farsightedness.

photo ojoimages

Strabismus - is a deviation of the eyes from their normal alignment. The eyes (or one eye) converge inwards (convergent strabismus) or outwards (divergent strabismus). The eyes align properly after the age of 3 months, so don't panic if your child's eyeballs diverge or converge by then. However, if eye problems do not disappear after the age of 6 months, you should see an ophthalmologist. If the defect is neglected, there can be serious consequences - including blindness , if one eye is not used. Correcting strabismus involves covering the stronger eye with a brace. This is done in order to stimulate the weaker eye. In some cases surgery may be necessary.

Visual impairment - is often the result of strabismus. It is a defect in which one "eye sees better" than the other. This can lead to discontinuation of use of the less able eye. Because of the serious consequences, a visual impairment should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

Optodyslexia - problems with reading and writing are not always dyslexia. In many cases, the trouble is due to an underlying visual defect - abnormal convergence (this is the ability of the eyes to observe objects by changing the position of the eyeballs). It is important to remember that a visual impairment may be the cause of underperformance.

Glasses - a real nightmare for some children

Often children do not want to wear glasses. Give your child the right to choose their frames. Do not force your child to wear glasses all day - increase the time gradually. The glasses should also be secure - they must not slip off, should be lightweight and should not impede daily active life.

Remember to visit the ophthalmologist regularly - only then will the doctor be able to assess whether the treatment is effective.