Eye problems in children are a rising epidemic due to the usage of phone and computer screens. Since our little ones cannot communicate their difficulties easily to their parents, some vision disorders are caught very late.
Some eye problems include:
Refractive errors
Plus, or minus glasses, cylindrical errors
Amblyopia (Lazy eye)
If a child is not given glasses at the right time or if a child’s squint is not corrected at the right time, the light is not focused sharply inside their eyes, this can lead to abnormal vision development with lower vision in the weaker or squint affected eye-a condition called Lazy eye.
Allergic eye disease
Some children develop seasonal allergies which cause itching, redness, watering and swelling in the eyes. These must be recognised and treated immediately to prevent complications like cylindrical refractive errors, keratoconus (abnormal shape of the cornea), corneal ulceration and scarring etc
Congenital and developmental cataracts
Children can be born with opacification of their lens which can lead to permanent decreased vision due to abnormal vision development. Some children develop cataracts due to systemic diseases, nutritional deficiency, trauma etc. As any cataract in a child below 10 years of age can lead to permanently low vision for life, it must be treated as an emergency and operated as soon as it is diagnosed.
Squint
Squint is the deviation of the eye from its normal position. This can be present from birth or can develop later due to uncorrected refractive error. Certain eye diseases can also cause permanent loss of vision in the affected eye with the affected eye gradually deviating from its normal vision.
Eye cancers-retinoblastoma
India has the highest incidence of retinoblastoma cases in the world, and its incidence continues to rise. Retinoblastoma can occur in a new-born (especially if parent had this cancer) to a child who is 8 to 9 years old. Any squint noticed in the child, or any new onset redness in the eye, or a white coloured reflex in the eyes (cat’s eye reflex) while taking a picture should alert the parents to seek an immediate consult. If treated on time, life and vision can both be saved.
TREATMENT AT DMEH
At DMEH we offer precise glass prescription for children as well as a complete eye examination. During checking of the glasses power your child may need to have some drops instilled in the eyes so that a precise correction is obtained.
Patching therapy for lazy eye, surgery for paediatric cataracts is also offered at our centre.