Some of the most common vision problems affecting children – besides refractive problems (nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism) – are visible when looking at your child straight on. Some don’t become evident until your child begins school or sports. What are these three common vision problems, and what can your children’s ophthalmologist in Livingston do about it? You will find out in this article.
Strabismus
Does one of your children’s eyes seem to drift towards his or her nose when they are looking at you? Or maybe it wanders to the outside of the eye? If one of your child’s eyes focuses properly on you but the other does not, your child is probably one of the 4% of children who suffers from strabismus.
Our eyes are supposed to work together, but in some cases, they do not align properly and they drift in different directions – inward (giving a cross-eyed effect), outward (giving a wall-eyed effect) or downward.
The condition is not always constant; it can come and go. It is usually caused by an abnormality in the neuromuscular control of the eye. If left untreated, your child could experience double vision at the start, but eventually will develop a lazy eye as the brain learns to ignore the input from the misaligned eye.
Treatment at our pediatric ophthalmologist in Livingston will generally involve glasses, eye exercises, prism or even surgery.
Amblyopia
As just mentioned, lazy eye is a common side effect of strabismus, but it is a disorder on its own, as well.
It occurs when the eye and the brain do not work together; eventually, the brain starts ignoring the input from the eye with the bad connection. The positive thing about amblyopia is that one eye is typically very strong, and it is possible to still see; on the flip side, it means that your child might not notice anything’s wrong.
At a regular visit to your children’s eye doctor in Livingston, however, the doctor will be able to diagnose the irregularity and work to strengthen the connection between the weaker eye and the brain by using glasses, eye patches, drops, surgery or a combination thereof.
Nystagmus
Less common than strabismus or amblyopia but no less important is nystagmus, or the involuntary movement of the eyes side to side, up and down or in a circle. This usually appears in infancy and is caused by neurological problems.
It can affect children’s ability to focus as their eyes are in constant motion; typically a pediatric ophthalmologist will treat the condition with glasses or contacts, but may elect to recommend surgery in some cases.
Children’s Eye Doctor Livingston – Your solution
If your child appears to have any of the symptom of the above vision disorders, contact our children’s ophthalmologist in Livingston at Pediatric Eye Associates. Dr. Rachel Bloom specializes in the treatment of pediatric strabismus, while Dr. Amy Lambert also completed her fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus. At Pediatric Eye Associates, you can be sure your child’s eyes will be taken care of – so don’t hesitate to contact us today.
