How To Know If Your Child Needs Glasses: The 5 Signs To Look For

**Collaborative post**

Our children’s health is our top priority as parents. We are always on the lookout for problems so we can make sure they are taken care of quickly. Some health issues are more apparent than others. A fever, vomiting, or other issues make it immediately obvious that they are ill.

Vision is another thing entirely. Especially when children are at the toddler stage, you may not realize if they have trouble seeing and need glasses. Poor eyesight in children can have a big impact on their quality of life. And it can even affect their ability to learn that causes a knock-on effect as they get older.

Knowing the signs that they can’t see well is important so they can get toddler glasses as soon as possible and avoid a lot of the problems that poor eyesight causes. In this article, we will go over the signs to look out for. 

1 – Struggling to read

One of the most difficult signs to interpret is the struggle of the child to read. Since children all learn to read at their own pace, kids that are behind in reading don’t usually raise any red flags. 

One thing to look out for when a child is reading is if they have trouble keeping their place on the page. This is much different than not being able to read well or forgetting how to pronounce words. You’ll notice the child will point to the words they are reading. 

If they have to move the book further away while also pointing to the word they are reading then this is a very likely sign that they have trouble seeing the words and aren’t struggling to read. 

2 – Excessive tears

Before reading age, you’ll need to look for other signs since they aren’t reading anyway. One sign that likely has a medical explanation is excessive tears in their eyes. To understand if the tears are a sign that they need glasses you have to go through a process of elimination. 

The most likely explanation is that there is an allergy. Seasonal allergies affect many people so this is something that would happen in the spring or summer. Have them checked for allergies and if that isn’t it move on to the next possibility. 

Conjunctivitis is also a very common problem for children which is an infection also called pink eye. It causes the eye to swell and get red as well as excessive tearing. It is highly contagious and can cause other problems. It usually goes away on its own after a few days unless it is bacterial. 

If this isn’t the case, then it’s time to visit an ophthalmologist. 

3 – Covering an eye

When a child needs to close an eye to focus then this is a very good sign that there is a problem that needs to be checked out. Astigmatism may be the cause so it needs to be determined so it doesn’t get worse.

The problem is that they have blurred vision in one eye and need to close it so they can see clearly with the good eye. Both eyes can have blurred vision with one of them being less acute than the other. 

Glasses will take care of the problem as long as it hasn’t gotten too bad. If it is left to get worse then surgery may be called for. 

4 – They get clumsy

Another sign that is easily misinterpreted is clumsiness. Toddlers trip often as they are not sure on their feet. And distractions lead them to bump into things frequently. There are some that simply can’t see well enough to be able to avoid these bumps and trips.

Pay close attention to how they walk and what their behavior is when they fall often or bang into furniture. If they are squinting when they walk then this indicates they are trying to see better which gives them trouble navigating the area. 

5 – Frequent headaches or nausea

Blurred vision causes a strain on a young child’s brain. They use a lot of mental energy simply to see well enough. If the child is complaining of headaches frequently while also exhibiting some other signs then this is a strong indicator that their vision is off. 

Accompanied by vomiting, it is something that needs to be checked out right away.

Conclusion

On their own many of these signs will prove to be unrelated to their vision. When there are several signs then use parental intuition to understand if something is wrong and take them to an optician.