Astigmatism In Children: How To Recognize It?
Astigmatism in children is a visual defect that occurs quite frequently. It affects nearly 15% of the general population and most often occurs in childhood or adolescence.
This vision disorder has a certain genetic component. This helps in making the diagnosis as it is often associated with other vision changes, such as myopia, which are also inherited.
If astigmatism in children is not detected early, the repercussions at the school level are considerable. In this article we would like to explain everything there is to know on the subject.
What is astigmatism in children?
Astigmatism is a refractive defect, such as myopia or hyperopia. Refractive defects are eye changes that prevent the eye from properly focusing the light rays that strike the retina. As a result, the vision is blurred.
In the case of astigmatism, the difficulty arises when trying to focus on an object that is at any distance. In other words, it is difficult to see clearly from near and far.
In the case of myopia, however, the vision of distant objects is compromised. Finally, hyperopia affects near vision. It is important to know how to distinguish these disorders because each requires a different treatment.
What is the cause of astigmatism in children?
Astigmatism in children, as already mentioned, generally has a genetic component. In other words, it is much more common when one or both parents suffer from it. Nonetheless, there are also cases with no family history.
The eye of the astigmatic child has a more flattened cornea. This anterior lens of the eyeball allows the retina to focus the light rays. Under normal conditions it is concave in shape.
When it is particularly flattened, the rays are not projected onto the retina, but fall a little further forward or a little further back. In some cases the shape of the lens is also altered.
Types of astigmatism
Astigmatism in children can present itself in different ways, depending on whether it is associated with other refractive defects or not.
First of all, it is worth explaining what the ocular meridians are. If we look at the eye from a frontal perspective, a meridian divides the eyeball from top to bottom. The other, however, from left to right.
We therefore speak of myopic astigmatism when one or two meridians of the eye focus like an eye affected by myopia. On the other hand, astigmatism can also be farsighted when the eye fails to focus properly at close range. Finally, astigmatism can be mixed, when the effects of the two previous types are combined.
What are the symptoms of astigmatism in children?
To recognize childhood astigmatism, it is important to pay attention to its symptoms. This is a more difficult task than myopia or hyperopia, which have more evident signs and more immediately compromise academic performance.
One of the most frequent symptoms is an apparently unreasonable educational delay. The child may seem inattentive or not very focused, to the point of being considered hyperactive. His lack of focus, however, comes from the inability to focus letters on books or blackboards.
The child often has a headache and tends to squint to help focus. Another typical gesture is to tilt the head to be able to see better. All this leads him to have red or itchy eyes due to excessive exertion.
The lack of interest in reading comes from visual difficulties and has no other origin. When reading aloud, some children tend to skip whole lines or reverse syllables.
How is this vision disorder diagnosed?
In order to diagnose astigmatism in children, in addition to observing all the symptoms, an eye examination is necessary. Your doctor will perform an eye exam and complementary tests that will help determine the cause of the problem.
During an eye examination, different lenses are used to evaluate every aspect of the patient’s vision. Once astigmatism is confirmed, the child will need glasses or contact lenses. This decision must be evaluated together with the doctor on the basis of the characteristics of the individual case.
Parents and teachers need to remember that astigmatism impairs children’s education. It is therefore important to pay close attention to possible symptoms, as well as the way the child reads or the presence of a headache.
