When it comes to children's health, parents often face the tricky job of looking out for problems their little ones can't recognise or articulate without help.
The same difficulties may also apply when it comes to eye health, as kids can mistake their impaired vision as the norm.
Thankfully, in most parts of the UK, vision screening is carried out in schools at the age of five. But there are also early warning signs parents can look out for that signal your child might be struggling.
Keen to help, an expert has compiled a list of signs a child might have vision issues - many of which are easy to miss.
The below list includes common signals of eyesight issues, according to Sujata Paul, Contact Lens Optician and Professional Services Clinical Lead at Lenstore:
- Excessive eye rubbing
Watery eyes
Head tilting (regularly)
- Covering one eye to read / focus, and
- Holding reading material close to the eyes
- Frequent headache
- Regular complaints about uncomfortable or 'tired' eyes
If you have noticed your child displaying these or other symptoms, help is available, and there are steps that can be taken to protect a child's long term eye health - once any problems are identified.
It may also be the case your child needs help, even after completing vision screening at the school, as the pro pointed out.
While a school screening helps identify children with poor vision, it does not examine ocular health, nor does it detect focusing defects or other possible problems, according to the expert. As such, it is recommended that parents schedule a free NHS eye exam at their local opticians too.
Additionally, she advised that children have an optical check-up at six months, again by age three and annually thereafter.
Free NHS sight tests are available at opticians for children under 16 and for young people under 19 in full-time education, as per the NHS website, where parents can find more information.
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