Why Does My Child Need a Routine Pediatric Eye Exam?

Our Children’s Eye Doctor Explains

You may be surprised to learn that vision problems in children are extremely common. In fact, up to one quarter of school-age kids have a vision disorder, and many of these disorders can have significant effects on learning. When undetected or left untreated, many pediatric vision conditions can lead to educational, developmental, and behavioral problems.

Now, you may be thinking – my child isn’t complaining about any visual trouble, so everything must be OK. Unfortunately, that’s a common misconception. Many vision conditions in kids don’t present obvious signs, and they are not detected during standard vision testing by a school nurse. Also, kids tend to adapt to what they see – so they aren’t even aware that they may not be seeing their world clearly. Therefore, the only reliable way to know if your child’s visual system is functioning optimally is to have a pediatric eye exam performed by a qualified children’s eye doctor.

Common Conditions Diagnosed by a Pediatric Eye Exam

During your child’s eye test at our Lewis Center office, our Ohio eye doctor will check for a range of conditions, all of which can interfere with learning and development. Depending upon the patient’s age, we will use different diagnostic technologies and techniques. Here are some of the conditions that we look out for:

Refractive conditions: nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), and astigmatism
Amblyopia: also known as “lazy eye,” kid can suffer from reduced vision in either one or both eyes
Strabismus: misaligned eyes (such as “crossed eyes”), due to a weakness or improper positioning of the eye muscles; when untreated, strabismus can cause permanent visual disabilities
Binocularity problems: a deficiency in eye-teaming, which can affect depth perception and coordination; generally, binocularity problems are subtler than strabismus
Convergence insufficiency: difficulty keeping eyes aligned for reading or other tasks done with near vision
Accommodation problems: trouble focusing, especially when switching between near and far

Sharp Vision is a Basis for Sharp Performance

Simply stated, if your child can’t see clearly – he or she can’t perform at their best. Sharp vision is an essential foundation for learning in the classroom, socializing with confidence, and playing well on the sports field. By bringing your children (of any age) for a yearly pediatric eye exam at Professional VisionCare Lewis Center, you are helping them reach their full potential and succeed in life. Also, the longer a pediatric vision condition remains untreated, the more your child’s brain learns to adapt to the problem – and the harder it can be to treat! So don’t delay, book regular appointments with your children’s eye doctor.

Vision for Teens and Tweens

During the tween and teen years, a diagnosis that requires prescription eyewear for treatment can be life-changing. At this stage of life, the concept of wearing eyeglasses can be devastating for many kids. What can you do if your tween or teen would rather see a blurry world than put on a pair of frames? Our children’s eye doctor has two helpful tips –

Bring your child to look through our fabulous optical collection of trendy, designer frames. Nowadays, glasses are considered to be a popular fashion accessory, and we stock a diverse selection of colors and shapes. Encourage your teen to find their favorite celebrity style and ask us to show you the most suitable options to match. We have eyeglasses for every wardrobe and every mood.
Consider contact lenses. Contacts, especially daily disposable contact lenses, can be a great solution for many tweens and teens who don’t want to deal with eyeglasses. Contacts can also be more comfortable for playing sports. (No glasses slipping down a sweaty nose!) Depending upon your teen’s lifestyle and eye test results, he or she may be a good candidate for contact lenses; ask our children’s eye doctor to recommend the most appropriate type.

Professional VisionCare has three convenient locations so a pediatric eye exam is always close by! Choose from Lewis Center, Westerville or Johnstown and book your exam, today.