REFRACTIVE ERROR
BY DR. VANESSA VILORIA AND DR. NESTOR BILETSKY
A refractive error is when the eye cannot clearly focus – resulting in blurry vision. There are different types of refractive errors.
Myopia, also known as “near-sightedness,” is a condition in which the eye is able to focus on objects closer to eyes but not farther away. It can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or laser eye surgery. It is important to diagnose this in children because they will have trouble focusing on distant objects, such as the board in a classroom, or the television from across the room. You may notice your child squinting or getting closer to certain objects to compensate.
Hyperopia, also known as “far-sightedness,” is a condition in which the eye is able to focus on objects farther away but not objects that are near to you. It can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, laser eye surgery, and in some cases, vision therapy. It is important in children because they will have headaches, strain, and general fatigue with extended periods of reading or digital device use. You may notice your child losing an interest in reading, learning, and performing regular tasks throughout the day because of their symptoms.
Astigmatism is a condition in which the front surface of the eye, the cornea, is shaped differently than normal. It can cause blurry vision for far away and up close as well as headaches, fatigue, and strain. It can be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or laser eye surgery. It is important in children because they will have headaches, strain, blurry vision, and general fatigue for both far away and up close. You may notice your child squinting, moving closer to compensate and even losing an interest in reading, learning, and performing regular tasks.
These are only 3 of the many eye conditions that occur in children. It is especially important that these errors get corrected in time to ensure full development of good visual function. Many times, a child will not know or say anything is wrong because they have nothing to compare to. They think what they see is normal. We recommend children being seen as early as 5 years old for routine eye exams to make sure their eyes are healthy and they are seeing well.