Comfortable Children’s Eye Exams in Okotoks

Regular Eye Exams Can Preserve Your Child’s Vision

Good vision plays a vital role in a child’s development. Parents and caregivers need to ensure that their child’s eyes are healthy and working correctly.

To help safeguard your child’s sight, make sure they receive regular comprehensive eye exams at least once per year.

When was your child’s last eye exam?

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Children’s Eye Exam Schedule

The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends that children undergo their first eye exam between the ages of 6 and 9 months, while preschool-aged children should have at least one eye exam between 2 and 5 years old.

School-aged children (between the ages of 6 and 19) should see their optometrist at least every year. However, depending on your child’s unique visual needs, your optometrist may suggest that they visit more frequently.

Common Vision Issues in Children

All eyes are different, and each can have its own set of issues that can affect your child’s vision. During their developmental years, some of the most common eye issues your child may face could include:

Certain diseases, like diabetes, can also increase the chance of developing an eye disease, such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. However, these diseases aren’t very common in childhood.

Spotting Visual Problems in Children

Young children aren’t always able to tell us if something is wrong, so it is up to parents and caregivers to look for signs of potential vision problems. If your child is experiencing problems with their sight, it is essential that these issues be identified and corrected as soon as possible to avoid long-term problems such as permanent vision loss.

Untreated visual problems can hamper your child’s development and impact their ability to learn.

Your child may be experiencing vision problems if they:

Are squinting a lot.
Are rubbing their eyes frequently.
Avoid close up activities such as reading.
Hold reading material close to their face.
Frequently lose their place while reading.
Need to follow along with their finger to avoid losing their place while reading.
Complain of frequent headaches.
Complain of double vision.
Cover one eye while looking at things.
Frequently tilt their head to one side.
Have a misaligned eye.