Children Vision & Common Eye Problems
Children Vision & Common Eye Problems
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Vision is closely linked to the learning process and children who have trouble seeing will often have trouble with their live activity and schoolwork. More than 80% of information children receive about the world comes through their eyes, and visual problems can impact on a child’s educational, physical and social development. For children, eye examinations can play an important role in development as often children will not complain of a vision problem as they do not know that they have a vision problem. Changes in a child's vision happen very slowly. A child may think that everyone else sees the same way, especially if a child develops nearsightedness (myopia) where faraway objects appear blurry. Some eye problems are more common in children than adults, these problems can end in permanent vision damage if not corrected early befor the maturation of the child's visual system. The following are some of the common eye problems that the children could have :
- Astigmatism: Astigmatism is a mild and easily treatable imperfection in the curvature of the eye. The condition can cause blurred vision (see image above). Astigmatism occurs when the front surface of the eye (cornea) or the lens, inside the eye, has a slightly different surface curvature in one direction from the other. Instead of being even and smooth in all directions, the surface may have some areas that are flatter or steeper. When the cornea has a distorted shape, patient has corneal astigmatism. When the lens is distorted, patient has lenticular astigmatism. Either type of astigmatism can cause blurred vision. Astigmatism blurs the vision at all distances. Astigmatism is often present at birth and may occur in combination with nearsightedness or farsightedness. The condition tends to remain constant, neither improving nor deteriorating much over time. Astigmatism is common and affects most people to some degree. Often it's not pronounced enough to require corrective action. But when it is, treatments include corrective lenses and surgery. For more: http://www.aoa.org/Astigmatism.xml - Blepharitis (swollen eyelids): Refers to chronic inflammation of the eyelids. Blepharitis is one of the most common disorder of the eye and is often the underlying reason for eye discomfort, redness and tearing. Other eye symptoms of blepharitis include: Burning, itching, light sensitivity, and an irritating, sandy, gritty sensation that is worse upon awakening. If not treated, blepharitis can lead to more severe signs and symptoms such as blurring of vision, missing or misdirected eyelashes, and inflammation of other eye tissue, particularly the cornea. Because blepharitis rarely goes away completely, most patients must maintain an eyelid hygiene routine for life. This involves keeping the lids clean and free of crusts, using warm compress, followed by a light scrubbing of the eyelid (repeated several times daily). In cases where a bacterial infection is the cause, various antibiotics and other medications may be prescribed along with eyelid hygiene. For more: http://www.aoa.org/Blepharitis.xml or http://www.agingeye.net/otheragingeye/blepharitis.php
- Cataract (cloudy lens):
A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens, the part of the eye responsible for focusing light and producing clear, sharp images. The lens is contained in a sealed bag or capsule. As old cells die they become trapped within the capsule. Over time, the cells accumulate causing the lens to cloud, making images look blurred or fuzzy. For most people, cataracts are a natural result of aging. In fact, they are the leading cause of visual loss among adults 55 and older. Eye injuries, certain medications, and diseases such as diabetes and alcoholism have also been known to cause cataracts. When a cataract seriously interferes with normal vision and activities, corrective surgery may be required. The cloudy lens is surgically removed and replaced with an artificial lens called and Interocular lens (IOL). Fortunately, modern cataract surgery is safe and effective with excellent results and minimal discomfort.Most people can return to normal activities within a day or two of the procedure.
For more: http://www.aoa.org/x4714.xml http://www.agingeye.net/cataract/cataractinformation.php - Corneal Abrasion (scratched cornea): A corneal abrasion is a scratch or cut (abrasion) of the clear outer layer (cornea) of the eye. Injury (trauma) is the most common cause for corneal abrasions. such as scratches from fingernails, foreign objects hitting the cornea, over wearing of contact lenses or Inability to fully close the eyelids. Corneal abrasions are fairly common. Those who wear contact lenses or work in dusty, dirty, windy, or debris-laden areas are more likely to get a corneal abrasion. person with corneal abrasion will has Lots of watery tearing, sensitivity to light (especially bright light), blurry vision, redness of the eye. For treatment, a tight patch will be placed over the eye and if the abrasion is small, the epithelium should heal overnight. If the abrasion is large, it may take a few days and antibiotics may be used to help prevent infections. It is important not to rub the eye, especially during the healing process. - Farsightedness (hyperopia):
Farsightedness or hyperopia, occurs when light entering the eye focuses behind the retina, instead of directly on it. This is caused by a cornea that is flatter, or an eye that is shorter, than a normal eye. Farsighted people usually have trouble seeing up close, but may also have difficulty seeing far away as well.
Objects far away like the islands are in focus, but close up objects, like the chairs are blurry Glasses and contact lenses are used by many for the temporary treatment of hyperopia.However, there are a number of vision correction procedures that can surgically reduce or eliminate hyperopia. For more: http://www.aoa.org/x4696.xml - Glaucoma (elevated eye pressure): Coming soon -Falsely Misaligned Eye coming soon - Misaligned Eyes (strabismus): Strabismus is a problem caused by one or more improperly functioning eye muscles, resulting in a misalignment of the eyes. Normally, each eye focuses on the same spot but sends a slightly different message to the brain. The brain superimposes the two images, giving vision depth and dimension.
Here's an easy way to see how the eyes work together, look at the image up and notice how each eye sees the object from a slightly diffrent position, however, even though the images are slightly different, the brain interprets them as one. Each eye has six muscles that work in unison to control movements. The brain controls the eye muscles, which keep the eyes properly aligned. It is critical that the muscles function together for the brain to interpret the image from each eye as a single one. In children, the cause of strabismus is not known, although the condition runs in families and occurs more commonly in children with neurological problems. In adults, causes of strabismus include injury to an eye muscle or the nerves controlling those muscles; head trauma; conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure; loss of vision; an eye or brain tumor; Graves' disease, stroke or other muscle and nerve disorders. Strabismus must be detected early in children because they are so adaptable If a child sees double, his or her brain quickly learns to suppress or block out one of the images to maintain single vision. In a very short time, the brain permanently suppresses and ignore the input from the turned eye, causing a weak or amblyopic eye. If this is allowed to continue, the eye that the brain ignores will never see well. Children do not grow out of strabismus. Children may also develop a head tilt or turn to compensate for the problem and eliminate the double image. Unlike children, adults with a newly acquired strabismus problem typically see double. There are many causes of strabismus. It can be inherited, or it may be caused by trauma, certain diseases, and sometimes eye surgery. It may also be caused by unequal pulling of muscles on one side of the eye or a paralysis of the ocular muscles. Occasionally, when a farsighted child tries to focus to compensate for the farsightedness, he or she will develop accommodative strabismus. This condition usually appears before two years of age and can occur as late as six. Treatment options depend upon the type of strabismus and may include glasses, vision therapy, prism, lenses and/or surgery. Vision therapy including patching or visual exercises, glasses with the correct prescription or bifocal or prism correction to aid in proper focusing, eyedrops to help focus. If treated by surgery, the goal is to get the eyes straight enough that the brain can develop some depth perception. Many children will develop the ability to use the eyes together following surgery, however, surgery will correct the misaligned eyes but cannot resolve amblyopia caused by strabismus. if present, amblyopia need to be treated prior to surgery. For more: http://www.aoa.org/x4700.xml - Lazy Eye (amblyopia):
Amblyopia is a term used to describe an uncorrectable loss of vision in an eye that appears to be normal. It’s commonly referred to as “lazy eye” and can occur for a variety of reasons. Most often it results from either a misalignment of a child's eyes, such as crossed eyes, or a difference in image quality between the two eyes (one eye focusing better than the other. In both cases, one eye becomes stronger, suppressing the image of the other eye. If this condition persists, the weaker eye may never develop good vision and may even become functionally blind. A child’s visual system is fully developed between approximately the ages of 9-11 year. Until then, children readily adapt to visual problems by suppressing or blocking out the image of the deviated eye, and, after about age 11, it is difficult if not impossible to train the brain to use the eye normally, however, if caught early, the problem can often be corrected and the vision preserved. Some causes of amblyopia include: strabismus (crossed or turned eye), congenital cataracts, cloudy cornea, droopy eyelid, unequal vision, uncorrected nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism. Amblyopia may occur in various degrees depending on the severity of the underlying problem. Some patients just experience a partial loss; others are only able to recognize motion. Patients with amblyopia lack binocular vision, or stereopsis – the ability to blend the images of both eyes together. Stereopsis is what allows us to appreciate depth. Without it, the ability to judge distance is impaired. Amblyopic children can be treated with vision therapy (which often includes patching one eye), atropine eye drops, the correct prescription for nearsightedness or farsightedness, or surgery. Vision therapist will place a patch over the stronger eye to force the weaker eye to learn to see (forces the child to use the eye with amblyopia more, to strengthen it). Patching may be required for several hours each day or even all day long and may continue for weeks or months. which forces the child to use the eye with amblyopia more, to strengthen it. For more: http://www.aoa.org/x4699.xml - Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction:
Many children are born with an underdeveloped tear-duct system, a problem that can lead to tear-duct blockage, excess tearing, and infection. This is called congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction or dacryostenosis. Most commonly, an infant is born with a duct that is too narrow and therefore doesn't drain properly or becomes blocked easily. The most common signs are excessive tearing, even when a child is not crying, crust over the eyelid or in the eyelashes. Kids with blocked tear ducts can develop an infection in the lacrimal sac signs include redness at the inner corner of the eye and a slight tenderness and swelling or bump at the side of the nose. Blocked tear ducts are a fairly common problem in infants; as many as one third may be born with this condition. Fortunately, more than 90% of all cases resolve by the time kids are 1 year old with little or no treatment. The earlier that blocked tear ducts are discovered, the less likely it is that infection will result or that surgery will be necessary. If there are signs of infection (such as redness, pus, or swelling), child should be seen and treated immediately because the infection can spread to other parts of the face and the blockage can lead to an abscess. For more: http://www.pedseye.com/topics_tear_duct_obstruction.htm - Nearsightedness (myopia): Nearsightedness, or myopia, as it is medically termed, is a vision condition in which near objects are seen clearly, but distant objects do not come into proper focus. Close up objects like the chairs are in focus, while objects far away like the islands are blurry Nearsightedness occurs if your eyeball is too long or the cornea has too much curvature, so the light entering your eye is not focused correctly. Nearsightedness is a very common vision condition that affects nearly 30 percent of the population. Some evidence supports the theory that nearsightedness is hereditary. Because the eye continues to grow during childhood, nearsightedness generally develops before age 2. Glasses and contact lenses are used by many for the temporary treatment of myopia.However, there are a number of vision correction procedures that can surgically reduce or eliminate myopia. For more: http://www.aoa.org/x4688.xml http://www.lasersurgeryforeyes.com/myopia.html - Ptosis (droopy eyelids): Drooping of the upper eyelid, may occur for several reasons such as: disease, injury, birth defect, previous eye surgery and age. In most cases, it is caused by either a weakness of the levator muscle (muscle that raises the lid), or a problem with the nerve that sends messages to the muscle. Children born with ptosis may require surgical correction of the lid if it covers the pupil. In some cases, it may be associated with a crossed or misaligned eye strabismus. Left untreated, ptosis may prevent vision from developing properly, resulting in amblyopia, or lazy eye. Patients with ptosis often have difficult blinking, which may lead to irritation, infection and eyestrain. If a sudden and obvious lid droop is developed, an eye care specialist should be consulted immediately. Children born with moderate or severe ptosis require treatment in order for proper vision to develop. Failure to treat ptosis can result in amblyopia (diminished vision in one eye) and a lifetime of poor vision. All children with ptosis, even mild cases, should visit their eye care practitioner every year. The eyes change shape as they grow, and sometimes focusing and visual problems develop, all because of the worsening ptosis. For more: http://www.eyecareamerica.org/eyecare/conditions/ptosis/index.cfm - Pink Eye (conjunctivitis): It is an infection of the conjunctiva (the outer-most layer of the eye that covers the sclera). The three most common types of conjunctivitis are: viral, allergic, and bactrial. Each requires different treatments. With the exception of the allergic type, conjunctivitis is typically contagious. The viral type is often associated with an upper respiratory tract infection, cold, or sore throat. The allergic type occurs more frequently among those with allergic conditions. When related to allergies, the symptoms are often seasonal. Allergic conjunctivitis may also be caused by intolerance to substances such as cosmetics, perfume, or drugs. Bacterial conjunctivitis is often caused by bacteria such as staphylococcus and streptococcus. The severity of the infection depends on the type of bacteria involved. Someone who has pinkeye in one eye can also inadvertently spread it to the other eye by touching the infected eye, then touching the other one. To prevent pinkeye caused by infections, teach kids to wash their hands often with warm water and soap. They also should not share eye drops, tissues, eye makeup, washcloths, towels, or pillowcases with other people. Pinkeye caused by a virus usually goes away on its own without any treatment. If a doctor suspects that the pinkeye has been caused by a bacterial infection, antibiotic eye drops or ointment will be prescribed - Retinoblastoma: Retinoblastoma - is a cancer of one or both eyes which occurs in young children. This cancer is very rare, affecting one in every eighteen thousand children and affects children of all races and both boys and girls. The cause is unknown. We do know that if your parent had it, then you may inherit the cancer. These cancer cells don’t usually spread away from the eye. The retinoblastoma tumor(s) originate in the retina, the light sensitive layer of the eye which enables the eye to see. When the tumors are present in one eye, it is referred to as unilateral retinoblastoma, and when it occurs in both eyes it is referred to as bilateral retinoblastoma. Most cases (75%) involve only one eye (unilateral); the rest (25%) affect both eyes (bilateral). The majority (90%) of retinoblastoma patients have no family history of the disease; only a small percentage of newly diagnosed patients have other family members with retinoblastoma (10%). The most common presenting signs are leukocoria and squint. Leukocoria, or white pupil, can be seen at certain angles when looking at the child. The size of the tumour and the spread of the disease determines the treatment that the child gets. Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, cryotherapy and/or photocoagulation. For more: http://www.aoa.org/x8066.xml http://retinoblastoma.com/retinoblastoma/ Spotting Eye Problems Watch your child for evidence of poor vision or eye problems. If you notice any, have your child examined immediately so that the problem doesn't become permanent. The following are some signs that a child may have as an evidence of vision problems:
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