What are the most common vision disorders among children?

商河眼镜

Amblyopia: occurs when the vision in one eye develops poorly, while vision in the other forms normally. The amblyopic eye, or "lazy" eye, is used less during the development process and is less sensitive than the other, and therefore does not see well. Usually the child does not complain about this problem and should be checked for the disorder from the first months after birth up to 2-3 years of age. It is difficult to treat amblyopia after the age of 4, while treatment before that age can allow vision recovery.



Astigmatism: a defect caused by asymmetrical curvature of the cornea that makes focusing difficult. Slight forms can cause headache and tiredness. Severe forms can result in poor focus at any distance.



Hypermetropia: this disorder is experienced as tiredness of the eyes caused by over-accommodation due to defective refraction. The overwork of one or both eyes can cause burning and headaches.



Myopia: distance vision is impaired. The child may squint or try to move closer to objects in an attempt to fine-tune the focus, or avoid activities that require distance perception.



Strabismus: or “cross-eyes”. Strabismus arises when the eyes are not properly aligned. One, or sometimes both, of the eyes may be turned inward toward the nose (estropia-convergent), or outward, toward the temples (extropia-divergent). But there are also vertical disorders (upward-hypertropia, or downward - hypotropia). Strabismus is one of the factors leading to amblyopia. Some very young children may display symptoms of false strabismus, in cases where the nasal septum is not fully developed. Folds of skin cover part of the internal corner of the eyes, creating what looks like convergent strabismus. Intermittent symptoms of strabismus can be normal in the first 4-6 months. If, however, after 6 months, the eyes have not aligned properly, it is advisable to have the infant's eyes examined.