Does your child recently feel that his or her vision is getting blurry? There are possibilities that he or she have astigmatism. According to Singapore National Eye Centre(SNEC), astigmatism is common in pre-schoolers. As parents, you will naturally be concerned for your child and want to find out more about astigmatism and how to cure it. Here are some tips from our sleeves in regard to astigmatism in kids.

Astigmatism is a refractive error like nearsightedness and farsightedness. A refractive error is a problem with how the eye focuses the light, when the shape of the eye does not bend light correctly with multiple focus points on the retina, causing a blurred vision. The way light is refracted by the lens and the cornea is very important for a clear vision as if it is refracted correctly, it can ensure a clear vision.

Astigmatism is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea (front surface of the eye). Instead of having a baseball-like symmetrically round shape of the cornea, it is shaped like an American football, with one half flatter or steeper than the other). Sometimes astigmatism can be caused by irregularly shaped lens, which is located behind the cornea.

If your child has difficulties seeing finer details or objects both close and far away, it is a warning sign that they have astigmatism. These signs can cause symptoms of fatigue, headaches and eye strain as a result of blurred vision.

Although astigmatism may not go away on its own, it can be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery. An eye exam can also determine how severe is your child's astigmatism and whether it is necessary to undergo any treatment to correct it. Thus, it is very important to have your little ones to have their eyes checked for any signs of astigmatism and to check with eye doctors or consultants which procedure is best for them. Read more here to find out why regular eye checks are important!