4 Signs Your Young Child Might Need Glasses
Children do not always know what they need. As a parent, it is up to you to observe your child to detect when something might be wrong. Whether you have a toddler or a young school-aged child, learn about some signs that might indicate your child needs glasses before they can tell you so.
1. Eye Rubbing
The eye is a muscle. So, in theory, when you see, you are essentially utilizing this muscle. When an individual struggles to see, they effectively increase their muscle usage. With any level of overuse will often come strain and discomfort. As a result, your child might be rubbing their eye due to the strain and pain. Since this effect is often likely to surface after an extended period of strain, pay attention to whether your child is rubbing their eyes at the end of the day.
2. Seating Position
Pay attention to your child's seating position when watching television, reading, or engaging in play. When a child is struggling to see, the most logical way they see to correct the problem is to get closer to the object to see it better. For this reason, if you observe your child always sitting close to the television or bringing their books as close to their face as possible, they could struggle to see.
3. Headaches
Again, the eye is a muscle. In addition to strain, when a child is struggling to see, they might also experience headaches. A part of eye strain is muscle contraction. If anything contracts too hard for too long, it can lead to fatigue and discomfort. In humans, this discomfort often surfaces as a headache. If your child complains of headaches often, ask the child to show you where their head hurts the most. If their pain is highly centered behind their eyes, there is a strong possibility that strain is to blame.
4. Declining Grades
If your child is of school age, pay attention to any changes in their grades or progress in school. When a child cannot see in the classroom, it is not just that they cannot see the content they are trying to learn. When a child cannot see clearly, they are much more likely to drift off in class and not concentrate, which can also lead to a decline in your child's grades or new behavioral concerns.
If you suspect your child needs glasses, be sure to speak with a pediatric eye doctor as soon as possible to have your child's vision concerns diagnosed.