What Do You Need To Know About Pediatric Eye Care?

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PEDIATRIC EYE CARE?

Children's Eye Care
It’s never too early to start taking care of your eyes, and in the case of children, it’s very important! Pediatric eye care can help diagnose vision problems early on.
Early diagnosis can prevent escalation, improve academics, and increase confidence. This can also instill good eye care habits that will last a lifetime. Before bringing in your child for their first eye appointment, here is an inside look at what to expect.

SYMPTOMS OF A CHILD WITH VISION PROBLEMS

Kids need their eyesight to be in good condition so that they can experience all that life has to offer. In fact, some studies suggest that as much as 80% of learning is visual. Without proper eye care, a child is at risk of falling behind.
Common symptoms of vision problems include blurry vision, headaches, and bad grades. You should also watch out for difficulty with reading. If you notice any of these symptoms in your child, it could be a sign that they are having a hard time seeing.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU SCHEDULE PEDIATRIC EYE EXAMS?

The frequency of eye exams depends most on the age of the patient. This is one of the biggest risk factors with eye problems. As you get older, you are at a higher risk of developing conditions like cataracts or glaucoma. This means that you’ll need more eye exams as you age.
For children, vision tends to fluctuate more often. As a result, they need more eye exams than adults do. A child’s first eye exam should happen when they are six months old. Their next exam usually happens around the age of three.
Another eye exam isn’t necessary until your child is about to start school. It is important to take your child at this age to make sure they have not developed vision problems. Once they have started school, they should have an eye exam every two years. If a vision problem is found, they will need to come in every year.
You may also consider setting up an eye exam when your child receives their annual physical to be safe. There’s no right or wrong way as long as your child has eye exams when they need them.

WHAT PEDIATRIC EYE EXAMS LOOK FOR

A baby’s first eye exam ensures that your infant is reaching milestones as they develop. At six months old, many vision processes have yet to develop, so it’s important to find any problems early.
Between the ages of two and five, children begin to learn hand-eye coordination. It is important to have a strong foundation with fine motor skills. This foundation can encourage a child’s ability to perform well in school, be creative, and have fun.
A child’s vision will continue fluctuating until reaching adulthood. This is normal and is why it is so important to have frequent eye exams.
Does your child need a pediatric eye exam? Schedule your appointment with the experts at 2o2o Tulsa, today! It’s never too early to start a lifetime of visual excellence

Can An Old Prescription Cause Headaches?

Ouch! You’ve got a headache and you don’t know why. Maybe you just gotten new glasses and you’re worried that the prescription is wrong. Or maybe it’s been way too long since you’ve seen the eye doctor and your prescription needs an update. There’s a good chance that your headache could stem from something unrelated to your vision or your eyewear, but let’s explore some possible reasons for that annoying pain around your eyes, forehead, and temples.Image result for headache from glasses

Need a New Prescription

If it has been over a year since your last eye exam, it is definitely worth making sure you are not suffering from some visual impairment that you’re unaware of. How do you know if you need glasses? Only a trained eye doctor can tell you for sure, but – believe it or not – proper vision correction can improve all aspects of life from your levels of concentration to your personal relationships. Being farsighted, in particular, when untreated can cause headaches, so that’s an easy one to remedy with a trip to your eye doctor.

Getting Used to a New Prescription

You know that an outdated prescription is not the headache culprit – because you just got a brand new pair of glasses. Well, your eye doctor may have warned you about this, but sometimes it can take a little time for your eyes to adjust to a new prescription. Blurry vision can occur – even with a correct prescription – as your eyes adjust. But any vision issues should resolve in less than two weeks. If two weeks have passed and you are still experiencing discomfort, please check back in with your eye doctor to make sure there’s not a prescription error. In the first two weeks, you can take a few steps to help get accustomed to your new prescription. First, put your new glasses on first thing in the morning when you wake up. If needed, take short breaks from wearing your new glasses. Finally, use over the counter painkillers to get relief in the meantime.

Computer problems & Reading glasses

Eyestrain comes from the overworking of muscles around the eye that are continually adjusting in order to focus. Repeated attempts to focus occur for different reasons; one is getting used to a new prescription. But eyestrain is also a common problem when wearing reading glasses while using the computer. Remember, reading glasses are for close-up work and the normal distance you sit away from a monitor is much farther away than where you would hold your reading materials. If you find yourself doing this, you may need bifocals. Eyestrain also happens when we spend too much time staring at screens. Screen time exposure can be mitigated with anti-reflective lens options and by taking steps like adjusting the lighting in your work space, and following the 20-20-20 rule. The rule is – look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.

Frame and Eye Position Adjustments

There are reasons other than an incorrect prescription that could cause a headache from wearing glasses. Your glasses should be personally customized just for you. That’s not just the prescription but also the position of your eyes, the angle and position of the frame, and the distance between your pupils, which should all be accounted for. Having an incorrect frame size or frame adjustment can cause pain behind the ears, where the temples pinch into the sides of your head. If you need a frame adjustment, you can go back to your eye doctor or try simple adjustments yourself.

Not your glasses fault

The most common symptoms of eyestrain are headache and fatigue. For some people eyestrain can even trigger migraines – but this is rare. According to the American Migraine Foundation “most eye pain does not result from an eye problem” unless the eye itself appears red, inflamed or swollen. If there are no external cues of distress in the eye, the headache most likely comes from tension. It’s also important to note that if you are experiencing nausea and vomiting then you’re not suffering from a vision related problem.

When Should Your Childs Eyes Have a First Eye Exam?

 
childs eyes You want to get your young children off to a good start in every way — and that includes their eye health. But when is the right time to start having your child’s eyes checked? Babies and toddlers can’t read an eye chart, after all. It’s best to start early.
It’s important not to delay eye exams for young infants and children because some early eye problems can affect vision for life. Finding a problem early can keep a minor issue from becoming something major (and harder to treat).
We emphasize that eye exams aren’t merely a way to know whether your child needs glasses. Like regular exams with a pediatrician, eye exams are about preventive care.

When do children need eye exams?

Dr. Bigheart recommends a comprehensive eye exam by an eye care professional by age 1, to be repeated before kindergarten in children without any evident eye problems.
These exams become much more important in children who:

  • Have a sibling or a parent with a major eye problem, such as crossed or turned eye(s) (strabismus) or lazy eye (amblyopia)
  • Have an eye problem detected by a pediatrician
  • Are suspected by parents of having an eye issue

Even if there are no obvious symptoms, your child may still have a problem with his vision, she says.

Early exams may head off serious problems

Undiagnosed conditions or abnormalities can lead to vision loss. However, it’s possible to reverse some problems if they’re caught early, Dr. Morgan says.
A classic example is a lazy eye. Kids with this condition have one eye that is weaker than the other.
One of the most common vision problems in children, lazy eye typically responds well to treatment. This may include an eye patch, eye drops or eyeglasses.
Another example is crossed eyes, which involves one or both eyes turning inward or outward. This can require special eyewear or an eye patch.
So how do you know there’s a problem or your child needs to see a doctor?
Here are four key tips that will help you make sure your child has the best eye care from the start.

1. Don’t wait for school

If you have questions about your young child’s vision, don’t hesitate to schedule an eye exam.
Most children have their vision tested before they start elementary school. But Dr. Bigheart says it’s ideal to have your childs eyes tested well before they start kindergarten or preschool.
In fact, he recommends an eye exam in the child’s first year of life.

2. Consider your family history

“While it’s ideal for all kids to have their eyes tested, it’s even more important if a child’s brothers or sisters have vision problems,” says Dr. Bigheart.
As with many other health-related conditions, your child is more likely to have vision problems if they run in your family. So it’s best to start monitoring it early on.

3. See an eye specialist

As you know, your pediatrician has specialized training for treating children. By the same token, a pediatric ophthalmologist specializes in detecting and treating your childs eyes problems.
With kid-friendly tools and testing, he or she can pinpoint problems — even if your child hasn’t learned how to talk or doesn’t yet know the alphabet.

4. Go with your gut

Dr. Bigheart says it’s very important for parents to trust their instincts. After all, you know your childs eyes best.
In fact, parents are often the first ones to notice signs of trouble. “If a mom says something is wrong with her child’s eyes or vision and I don’t find anything in the initial exam, I always go back and test again,” she says.
Your doctor may not find a problem at first. But if you still have concerns, keep working to pinpoint the problem. Discuss the signs you’re seeing with your child’s doctor or get a second opinion, if necessary.
Following these tips will help you protect your child’s vision and promote healthy eyesight for life.