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Children also need vision screenings

March 22, 2017 by Staff News Writer

Many people believe that vision problems show up over the years, due to old age and other factors. However, children also suffer from this type of problems and need to be tested from a young age.

Despite the discomfort caused by sight limitations, children often hide them or do not realize they have them, which requires greater attention from parents.

One of the most important things in the learning process is the vision, since the child uses his visual system to transport information to the brain, where it will be interpreted and analyzed. A bad vision triggers learning problems and academic failure,”

said Sandra Soto, Gollo optics optometrist.

According to the specialist, eye dysfunctions such as astigmatism, myopia, hyperopia and cumulative atrophy are the most common problems in the country’s child population.

80% of visual problems in the child population can be prevented or treated, hence the importance of performing vision screenings periodically. Otherwise these problems can trigger worse and even irreparable diseases,”

added Soto.

To identify a child suffering from vision problems, it is necessary to pay attention to the following signs:

– Squinting: If the child does this constantly, it can be a sign that they have a vision problem, since that movement gives them temporary relief.
– Tilting the head: an inclination may be due to a sign of imbalance in the ocular muscle or strabismus, when leaning the head, the child manages to control double vision.
– Sitting very close to the TV or computer: When there is a case of myopia, children have the need to come closer to see things more clearly, since everything seems blurred from a distance.
– Headaches: headaches can be translated as an additional effort to compensate for blurred vision.
– Rubbing their eyes repeatedly during the day.

If a child has one or more of these problems, it is recommended to take them to the optometrist for the appropriate examination to be able to identify the solution.

It is important to raise awareness about the relevance of an early diagnosis. For example, if not treated in time, myopia could trigger amblyopia, which permanently damages the vision,”

added the specialist.

crhoy.com

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