One of the biggest concerns we have as parents is our children’s health. After all, imagining that our sweet child has any sort of health concerns can send us into a full-fledged panic. However, your child’s health concerns may not always be obvious. Something like a vision issue may not be apparent right away.
This is largely because the younger your child is, the less capable they are of verbalizing their symptoms, which may make it hard for you to notice early on. Unlike an adult, who can easily notice their discomfort, and make an appointment for lasik surgery themselves.
However, by knowing the telltale symptoms, you can spot a vision problem and hopefully intervene early. Because the sooner you can intervene, the less likely the vision problems are to worsen. Here are some of the telltale signs that your child may need glasses.
Squinting
One of the most obvious signs that a child is having trouble seeing is squinting. Squinting is a natural response that we have and we can’t see something clearly, so we squint in order to make an object appear clearer. If you notice that your child is squinting during activities like reading, or watching the TV, this indicates an issue like near-sightedness or far-sightedness.
Headaches
If your child is frequently complaining that they have a headache, then it’s definitely time to intervene. Children who require glasses, but still have uncorrected vision issues, are over-straining their eyes. Usually, children who complain of headaches after returning home from school, or a long period of looking at a screen are almost always in need of an optometrist.
Headaches can affect all areas of your child’s life, from their ability to pay attention to school, to being able to get enough sleep. The sooner they see an eye doctor to correct their vision problem, the sooner they can improve their overall quality of life.
Difficulty Paying Attention
If a child can’t see something properly, or if it causes pain to be able to focus on something, then chances are they’re probably not going to pay attention for very long. Poor vision can significantly impact a child’s ability to stay committed to an activity for a long period of time.
If you notice your child has no interest in concentrating on their schoolwork or losing interest in movies quickly, this may be a result of a vision problem.
Many parents who notice their child’s grade slipping may not even consider that vision problems may be to blame. If a child can’t see something properly, it may hinder their ability to understand and process the information coming at them in school.
So, before automatically assuming that your child’s academic performance is a result of a lack of effort, consider that it may be due to a vision problem. You may be surprised to find that glasses are the simplest and most effective fix!
