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PROBLEMS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN CHILDREN'S EYES
IN INFANTS
Eyes turning in or out (a Squint)
One eye bigger than the other
Frequent rubbing of the eyes
Discomfort in bright light
Watery eyes
A red spot in one eye
IN TODDLERS AND YOUNG CHILDREN
Sitting too close to the television
Holding books very close
Clumsiness
Sore-looking eyes or eyelids
Trouble seeing colours
Blinking rapidly or screwing up the eyes
IN OLDER CHILDREN
Headaches or eyestrain
Blurred or double vision
Words moving about during reading
WHAT ARE THE COMMONEST SERIOUS EYE PROBLEMS
Children's eyes can be affected by problems at birth such as damage to the retina in premature babies and infections from meningitis which can affect the blood vessels in the brain leading to damage to the optic nerve. Children can inherit conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa which predominantly affects the side vision, macular dystrophies which prevent central detailed vision and Leiber's optic atrophy which affects the whole of the visual area. Children can also suffer from glaucoma, retinal detachments, congenital cataracts and older children can lose vision from diabetes.
IS YOUR CHILD DYSLEXIC?
DOES YOUR CHILD:
Seem bright but struggle with reading?
Become easily frustrated and tired when reading?
Reverse words, letters or numbers?
Have difficulty spelling?
Frequently lose the place, skip words or whole lines when reading?
Have poor reading comprehension?
If so your child may be dyslexic.
WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?
Dyslexia, from a Greek word meaning difficulty with words, can affect memory and concentration. Dyslexics usually have a larger right hemisphere in their brain and may be better at skills controlled by that side of the brain, such as musical ability, intuitive personal skills, problem solvers, visualisation skills or athletic ability.
VISUAL FACTORS IN DYSLEXIA
The ability to focus (accommodation) is likely to be below normal and binocular instability more commonly found in a poor reader than a good reader. Binocular instability can be detected using special equipment (Mallett OXO unit) where the patient is asked if the lines are aligned or if they move and measuring the eyes ability to keep objects looking single (fusional reserves).
MEARES-IRLEN SYNDROME
The most common Meares-Irlen syndrome (from Olive Meares and Helen irlen) symptoms are the appearance of text moving or blurring (visual perception distortions), sore eyes, tired eyes, visual discomfort and headaches. The Meares-Irlen syndrome is present when a childs' reading ability is improved by the use of coloured filters which need to be those with smooth transition curves to minimise the effect of external lighting conditions. People with Meares-Irlen syndrome symptoms still require a full eye examination to rule out the possibility of other ocular causes.
WHAT DO THESE PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON?
Beethoven, Mozart, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Sir Steve Redgrave, and Sir Richard Branson.
Apart from being composers or Knights of the Realm the one element which links them all is dyslexia.
CONTACT LENSES FOR CHILDREN
There are no fitting reasons why children should not wear contact lenses —however there may be handling difficulties. For very young children parents should be able to insert and remove the child's lenses and be aware of the hygiene requirements. Short-sighted children (myopes) do better in contact lenses but those with long-sightedness (hyperopes) are better with spectacles due to the magnified affect of them. To get used to touching the eyes putting re-wetting eye-drops and touching the white of the eye gently with a carefully cleaned finger may help.
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