Eye Health
Children's Eye Health & Safety
American Academy of Ophthalmology
P.O. Box 7424, San Francisco, CA 94120
- Have your child's eyes screened by age 5, sooner if there is a family history of childhood vision problems, or if they appear to have wandering or crossed eyes.
- Among the eye conditions and diseases your Eye M.D. will look for:
- Strabismus-sometimes signaled by "crossed eyes," this disorder can lead to serious vision problems. It can often be corrected with glasses, or in some cases, surgery.
- Amblyopia-this is a serious disorder in which the brain "shuts off" images from a "weaker" or misaligned eye. The problem can often be corrected by patching the stronger eye for a time. If not treated early, the condition can become permanent.
- Ptosis- Ptosis is a drooping of the upper eyelid. The lid may droop slightly, or it may completely cover the pupil. At times, ptosis can restrict or block normal vision. Surgery usually corrects the problem, but sometimes medications are used instead.
- Refractive Errors-these include nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (presbyopia) and astigmatism. These problems can be corrected with glasses or (for older children) contact lenses.
- Congenital (or "inherited") eye disorders-these are rare, but can be serious. Sometimes a vision problem can signal more serious diseases of other systems of the body, such as diabetes.
- Most children have healthy eyes, but they should see an Eye M.D. if they experience pain, flashes of light, seeing spots or ghost-like images, if lines and edges appear distorted or wavy, dark spots appear in their central vision, excessive tearing, dry eyes with itching or burning.
- Eye injuries are one of the leading causes of vision loss in children, and the leading cause of eye injuries is sports. An estimated 40,000 sports and recreation-related eye injuries occur every year. One-third of these injuries happen to children under age 16. Young athletes should wear polycarbonate lenses fitted by an eye care professional.
- Other causes of vision loss in children: work related accidents, wood or metal shop debris, debris from yard work, chemical splashes from household cleaners, battery acid burns from jump started vehicles, and firework