Astigmatism is quite common and begins early. So keeping on top of your child’s vision care with eye exams is critical to make sure they don’t encounter vision related problems at school.
Recent research has found that in a group of American children aged 5 to 17 years, more than 28% had it. This same research found that it’s more prevalent in Asian (33.6%) and Hispanic (36.9%) children.
What Is Astigmatism?
Astigmatism means that the eye isn’t completely round. Most people are born with some degree of astigmatism because our eyes are not perfectly round. And in early childhood, we grow and so do our eyes. This can cause the eye to grow more oval and as a result make the problem worse.
What Are the Symptoms?
The primary symptom is blurred vision. It doesn’t matter if the objects are near or far. The imperfect curvature of the eye, chiefly the cornea, causes the light to essentially miss the retina. This in turn causes squinting to assist the eye in focusing.
What Are the Solutions?
There are several options for treatment. These include eyeglasses, contact lenses, orthokeratology, and surgery.
- Prescription Eyeglasses. This is the most common correction. Eyeglass prescriptions can not only correct astigmatism but also address nearsightedness or farsightedness.
- Contact Lenses. There are many types of contact lenses. Toric lenses can correct the condition, along with nearsightedness and farsightedness. They are available in soft and gas permeable options.
- Orthokeratology. This treatment uses a special type of contact lens to reshape the cornea.
- Surgery. There are several types of surgical treatments including LASIK and PRK (photorefractive keratotomy). They reshape the cornea to correct the astigmatism. Since a child’s eyes are changing as they grow, this option should be delayed until after their major growth changes.
It Should All Begin With an Examination
If you feel that your child has astigmatism or any other vision problem, we need to see them as soon as possible. We’ll conduct a thorough examination to diagnose any problems and start the needed treatment quickly.
There’s no need to see them struggling in their schoolwork when we can provide just the right options to provide crystal clear vision.
Give us a call at 972-612-2099 and let’s get started.
Disclaimer: The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
