If My Child Squints Do They Need an Eye Exam?

Time and again we, as professionals, get asked this question. "If my child squints, do they need contacts or glasses?" Unfortunately, there is no magic answer to this question. As someone that wants everyone to see with 20-20 vision I strongly urge parents to bring their children in for an eye exam even if they are not squinting. As parents, we sometimes get caught up in our own lives and we do not notice some of the things our children are doing.

 In fact, we are often told that teachers or babysitters are the ones that first see that a child is squinting when they are trying to read something far away or close up. Most people have probably seen a movie in which a child is struggling to read the chalkboard or blackboard from the back of the room. The child may be struggling in school or a particular class for no other reason than they cannot see what the teacher or professor is writing down.

 Rather than having your child go through these tough times it is best to get a yearly eye exam. Even if your child had 20-20 vision during the last exam it does not mean their vision is not going to change. In fact, during the first 15 years of a life, the vision of a human being changes the most. This is why LASIK eye surgery is not available to children. LASIK eye surgeons recognize the eye continues to change, grow or adjust all the way up to age 18 and sometimes all the way into ones 20's.

 If you want to know if your child needs glasses the best way to find out is to bring them to a professional. There are plenty of eye charts that you can print out online but a professional optometrist knows how to administer the proper tests to determine what types of eyeglasses or contacts are needed for a correction of vision. Hopefully your child does not have vision impairment but you can alleviate a lot of stress by bringing them to an optometrist sooner rather than later.

Getting behind in school because of vision is not what we want any child to go through. The investment of glasses and/or eye exams will be well worth it as it can help your child stay ahead when it comes to academics and school work. If you would like to schedule an eye exam for your child today please feel free to use this page.