Childrens Optometrist Perth

Supporting Your Child’s Vision from the Start

At E Eye Place, we understand that clear vision is crucial for your child’s development. Our experienced optometrists provide comprehensive eye care tailored to children of all ages, ensuring they have the visual tools needed for learning and growth.

Signs Your Child May Need an Eye Test

Be attentive to behaviours that may indicate vision problems:

Squinting or covering one eye.
Frequent headaches or eye rubbing.
Difficulty reading or maintaining attention.
Sitting too close to screens or holding books close.
Complaints of blurred or double vision.

Why Regular Eye Exams Matter

Children’s vision develops rapidly, and early detection of issues can prevent long-term problems. Regular eye exams help identify:

Refractive Errors: Such as myopia (short-sightedness), hyperopia (long-sightedness), and astigmatism.
Amblyopia: Also known as lazy eye, where one eye has reduced vision.
Strabismus: Misalignment of the eyes, leading to double vision or depth perception issues.

Tailored Solutions for Your Child

Based on the examination, we offer personalised recommendations, which may include:

Prescription Glasses: With a wide selection of child-friendly frames.
Vision Therapy: Exercises to improve visual skills.
Myopia Management: Strategies to slow the progression of short-sightedness.

Common Types of Vision Problems in Children

FAR SIGHTEDNESS (HYPEROPIA)

Does your child have no problems recognising distant objects, but struggle to see things up close? This is most likely hyperopia or farsightedness. If left untreated, your child can suffer from constant headaches, tiredness, and concentration issues. Many children who are farsighted are often described as restless and get exhausted quickly, particularly when reading and writing.

NEARSIGHTEDNESS (MYOPIA)

When a child is nearsighted, they can see things up close clearly but not those in the distance. This is a result of the eyeball shape, usually when it is too long, or it could also be due to an excessively high eye lens refraction power. Light focuses too far in front of the retina rather than focusing on the retina itself. It’s important to choose the right lens for myopia in children.

Children with myopia read or watch TV too close. They also squint or blink rapidly, which helps them see objects that are far away.

ASTIGMATISM

When the cornea is not perfectly curved, it can cause astigmatism, a condition characterised by blurry and distorted vision. Other symptoms include eye strain, fatigue, and headaches. Astigmatism is common in children, around 23% from six months to one year.

However, if it is severe, astigmatism is a risk factor for amblyopia (lazy eye), the leading cause of preventable vision loss in children.

CROSS-EYED VISION (STRABISMUS) & LAZY EYE (AMBLYOPIA)

Cross eyes or strabismus is uncommon, affecting only five per cent of the world population. It does not cause any pain where typically, one eye focuses incorrectly in a different direction. As a result, the brain forms two dissimilar images where one is sharp while the other is blurry. This condition forces the child to use the working eye more, which causes the other eye to stop developing its visual acuity. That’s where the term “lazy eye” was coined.

The neglected eye’s vision declines over time. Therefore, it is important for your child’s strabismus to be treated right away to avoid severe vision problems. Treatment for strabismus can range from simple spectacle correction, vision therapy, to appropriate and timely referral to an ophthalmologist who specialises in eye muscle surgery.

Book Your Appointment Today With Perths Top Kids Optometrist!

Talk to us. We’re here to help make sure your child gets the best eye care possible.

Colour Vision Issues In Kids

COMMON TYPES OF COLOUR VISION PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN

CAUSES OF COLOUR VISION DEFICIENCIES

TREATMENT

COMMON TYPES OF COLOUR VISION PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN

CAUSES OF COLOUR VISION DEFICIENCIES

TREATMENT

Behavioural Optometrist Perth

Behavioural optometry is the study and link of a persons behaviours based off their vision. Also known as behavioural vision therapy, it is a comparison of your vision to your behaviour demands such as reading and writing. Not only does it look at your sight, but it takes a deeper dive into checking how your vision revolves around functionality, usefulness, relevance, and accuracy. For more information book an appointment with our expert optometrists.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are There Signs to Look for in Children with Vision Problems?

Parents should check for signs that there is a potential issue with their kids vision. This is crucial in finding the best treatment for the problem. Some signs to watch out for are larger than normal eye size, strabismus or crossed eyes, and failure to hold or grasp objects.

Some kids are extremely sensitive to light, while others do not respond to bright lights. You may also find that your child cannot focus on a particular object, causing him or her to tilt the head or even roll the eyes. Older children from five years of age may have difficulty keeping their balance when walking, often stumbling or bumping into furniture.

What are the Common Vision Problems in Kids?

Kids, like adults, can see near objects clearly but not those far from them. This is called myopia or nearsightedness. If your child can only see far objects but not the things close to them, especially when reading a book, they have hyperopia or farsightedness.

Some children have astigmatism, but this condition usually goes away as they grow. Unfortunately, there are kids who don’t outgrow their astigmatism. In cases where astigmatism is severe, the child develops a lazy eye or amblyopia.

Another vision problem in kids is strabismus or cross-eyedness. Although rare, having cross-eyes should be treated immediately to stop it from worsening.

Can Kids Be Colour Blind?

Yes, kids can have colour vision deficiencies, which can be in the form of reduced colour perception, partial colour blindness, or total colour blindness. A child who is colour blind usually cannot see red and green. However, if your kid is totally colour blind, they do not see colours, just grey scales. Total colour blindness is hereditary.

These colour vision deficiencies occur due to defects in the eyes, normally from the day the child is born. Some people develop colour blindness as they age, and it is a common side effect of taking certain medications for a long time. Macular degeneration also causes colour blindness.

How Do You Treat Colour Vision Problems in Kids?

Unfortunately, there is still no treatment discovered for colour blindness and colour vision deficiencies. The good news, though, is that there are special glasses for kids to enjoy comfortable vision. These glasses work efficiently by changing colour contrasts, depending on the type of colour blindness they have. For instance, red spectacle lenses are useful for kids who have trouble seeing red hues.

As with any other vision problem, the key is to detect the problem early. That way, colour blindness can be corrected effectively. You can check your child’s ability to perceive colours with the use of a dotted colour chart.