As children develop and grow each year, so do their irises and general vision. Furthermore, schools demand intense eye focus in activities such as reading, taking down notes, and even staring at computer screens. Given such an long time span and an increasingly competitive environment, it’s unsurprising to see a vision problems stemming earlier in children. Fortunately, parents have been more diligent in observing the signs of myopia in their children – squinting, holding objects too close to their faces, and the like. This has enabled them to seek treatment early. However, did you know that there are some factors linked to childhood vision problems that may not be so common?

Attention

One of the more difficult tell-tale signs is attention-span. It’s normal for kids to be restless and want to play around every now and then. Their sudden spurts of energy can even catch us off guard at times. However, one of the lesser known symptoms seen in children who are on the track to myopia is as such. Observe if your child might seem to quickly lose interest in activities or games that require their eyesight. This could mean your child feels uncomfortable with their vision clarity!

Losing track

Reading is one of the healthiest habits we can cultivate in our children. They can learn how to better express themselves, boost their language and expand on their linguistic abilities. As such, it’s no wonder many parents start reading to their kids early. However, once independent reading takes place, do take note to see if your child may have difficulty keeping track of where they are or if they keep having to re-read certain lines on the page. This could signal a sign of distress related to their eye-tracking.

Head Turning

One more common action seen in a child facing vision problems is their head motion. If you see your child turning their head from side to side when viewing something directly in front of them, this may be a warning sign. It could mean that your child suffers from a form of refractive error, such as myopia or astigmatism, as turning their head while watching something allows them to see better.

Here at Nanyang Optical, we believe it is our responsibility to help both parents offer assistance to their kids with vision problems, as well as educate children themselves to learn more about their eyesight. Find out more here, on some tips and tricks to boost your child’s vision!