Your child’s eyesight plays a critical role in their growth and development, as well as their ability to learn and even socialize. Because making sure they can see clearly is such a priority, it’s important to know the signs associated with relatively common childhood vision problems, such as astigmatism.
At ABC Children's Eye Specialists, our team is dedicated to helping kids enjoy clear vision and healthy eyes now and as they grow. Take a moment as we offer a brief overview of astigmatism, along with a list of some of the most common yet subtle signs of it.
Astigmatism is a type of refractive vision problem, which means it affects the way light is bent or refracted when it enters the eye. Myopia (nearsightedness) and hyperopia (farsightedness) are also refractive vision problems. All three vision issues affect sight in different ways.
In myopia, changes in the shape of the eye cause light to focus in front of the light-sensitive retina, which means near objects appear clear, while distant objects appear blurry. Hyperopia is the opposite problem — distant objects are clear, while near objects are blurry.
Astigmatism involves changes in the shape of the clear cornea at the front of your eye. Normally, the cornea is nearly perfectly round, allowing light to enter evenly wherever it contacts your eye. In astigmatism, the cornea is shaped more like a football, causing generally blurry vision at all distances.
About a quarter of infants and toddlers have some degree of astigmatism. For many kids, the issue clears up as they grow. But for others, astigmatism persists, posing significant challenges at school, at home, and in social settings.
Kids can’t always adequately explain the vision issues they’re having, or they may not realize their experiences are abnormal. Learning to recognize subtle signs of astigmatism helps your child get vision correction as soon as possible.
Squinting and head-tilting are common reactions to blurry vision as your child seeks a better vantage point in hopes of seeing more clearly. You might notice your child squinting or tilting their head when reading, watching TV, using a computer, or trying to see distant objects.
When you can’t see clearly, your eyes have to work harder to try to compensate, causing eyestrain. Many kids rub their eyes to alleviate fatigue or other eyestrain symptoms, like dry or sore eyes.
Ongoing eyestrain can eventually lead to headaches, particularly when your child is reading or doing homework. It might be tempting to think your child is using a headache as an excuse to avoid schoolwork, but there’s a good chance their headaches are being caused by astigmatism or another underlying vision problem.
Astigmatism can make it a lot harder to see words or numbers clearly, interfering with homework or any task requiring close-up focus. Your child may make errors, become frustrated, or develop headaches or eye discomfort when confronted with close-up work.
Because astigmatism causes blurry vision at all distances, your child may complain of problems seeing the board at school, even if they’re seated in the front row.
Astigmatism scatters light as it enters the eye, sometimes causing visual effects like extra sensitivity to light or halos or starburst patterns around lights. If your child complains about bright lights, it’s time to have them evaluated for astigmatism.
Astigmatism can have an effect on depth perception, too, making it harder for your child to estimate distances in sports and other activities. Your child may seem clumsy or uncoordinated, leading to problems participating in social activities or even an increase in accidents.
Astigmatism can take a huge toll on your child’s school and sports performance, their social life, and their self-esteem. Fortunately, it can be corrected with the right lenses.
To learn more about astigmatism treatment or to schedule an exam for your child, call our offices to request an appointment with the team at ABC Children’s Eye Specialists in Phoenix, Avondale, Sun City, Gilbert, and Mesa, Arizona, today.
