How Can You Tell If Your Child Has Astigmatism And What Can You Do To Correct Their Vision?
Astigmatism is a very common condition in children, and it occurs when the cornea in the eye is irregularly shaped. A normal eye has a perfectly spherical cornea that reflects all incoming light onto a single point on the retina located in the back of the eye.
People who have astigmatism have corneas that appear slightly squashed — they're shaped more like a football than a sphere. This causes light to be scattered across multiple points in the retina rather than at a single one. The conflicting light sources result in blurred vision.
Astigmatism can lead to children having difficulty reading, whether it's something in a book or something written on the teacher's school board. This can easily lead to frustration and poor learning at school, so it's important to treat suspected astigmatism in order to help your child learn. Below, you'll find more information about how to tell if your child has astigmatism and what you can do to treat it.
What Causes Children to Develop Astigmatism?
In the majority of cases, astigmatism is a condition that children are born with. It's hereditary and tends to run in families. The degree of a child's astigmatism typically changes as he or she ages, and it usually changes for the better — many children grow out of their astigmatism. In some cases, however, astigmatism can worsen with age. The degree of astigmatism that your child has will typically remain constant around the age of 25.
In some cases, astigmatism can be caused by an injury to the cornea. A scar on the cornea can cause the same symptoms of astigmatism by causing light to scatter onto multiple points on the retina even if it doesn't change the shape of the retina itself. This type of astigmatism is treated the same way as the type that a child is born with. You can help your child avoid developing this type of astigmatism by teaching them eye safety tips such as to avoid rubbing their eyes.
How Can You Tell if Your Child Has Astigmatism?
If your child has astigmatism, he or she may squint at objects. Your child may also prefer to hold books further away from his or her face compared to other children in order to prevent the letters on the page from becoming blurry. Blurry vision and squinting can both lead to headaches, which is another common symptom in children who have astigmatism.
How Does an Optometrist Diagnose Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is easily diagnosed through a comprehensive eye exam. To perform eye exams, optometrists will shine bright lights into your child's eyes in order to examine the shape of his or her corneas. If the corneas are irregular, that's a sign that your child has astigmatism. A comprehensive eye exam can also detect other vision impairments as well, such as nearsightedness and farsightedness.
How Is Astigmatism Treated in Children?
The most common method of treating astigmatism is with corrective lenses, which can either be prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. The only special consideration for children with astigmatism is that hard contact lenses must be used instead of soft ones, as the soft ones have a tendency to bend around the irregular cornea.
Overall, astigmatism is a common vision impairment in children, but it's easily treatable with corrective lenses. If you think that your child may have astigmatism, contact an optometrist in your area and schedule a comprehensive eye exam. Since the degree of astigmatism usually changes as children age, you'll need to periodically schedule comprehensive eye exams to keep watch on how the condition is progressing and make changes to your child's corrective lens prescription if necessary.
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