Understanding 3 common vision disorders in children

(NC) As kids prepare for another year of academic growth and discovery, it’s crucial for parents, caregivers and educators to be mindful of common vision disorders that can affect children’s learning and development. Given that vision plays a crucial role in academic success, maintaining good eye-health should be a priority, and the start of the school year is a good time to have children’s eyes tested.

Dr. Vivian Hill, from the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, outlines the common vision disorders among children:

• Strabismus: A vision disorder in which one or both eyes are not properly aligned when focusing on an object. The eye can turn in, out, up or down and is typically caused by poor eye-muscle control.
• Amblyopia: Commonly known as lazy eye, a vision disorder resulting in decreased vision in one or both eyes due to insufficient visual stimulation of the visual pathways. Amblyopia can be caused by strabismus, refractive errors and visual deprivation (e.g., cataracts, drooping eyelids, etc.).
• Refractive errors: A vision disorder in which the shape of the eye prevents a focused image from forming on the retina, causing blurry vision at either near or far distances. The types of refractive errors include:
  • Myopia (distance images are blurry)
  • Hyperopia (close-up images are blurry)
  • Astigmatism (blurry and stretched-out images)
  • Anisometropia (difference in refraction between the two eyes)

Parents can determine whether their child is experiencing changes to their vision by looking out for these four signs:

1. Frequent rubbing of the eyes
2. Squinting, tilting or turning the head to look at an object
3. “Wandering” eyes or eyes looking in different directions
4. Increased headaches and/or fatigue

Find more resources and information on eye health at seethepossibilities.ca.