Blurred vision, sensitivity to light, difficulty in distinguishing similar letters and tiredness in the eyes are the main symptoms of astigmatism. In the child, this vision problem can be perceived from the child's performance at school or from habits, such as closing his eyes to see something better from a distance, for example.
Astigmatism is a vision problem that happens due to the change in the curvature of the cornea, which causes the images to be formed in an unfocused way. Understand what astigmatism is and how to treat it.
Main symptoms
The symptoms of astigmatism arise when the cornea of one or both eyes has changes in its curvature, producing several focus points on the retina that cause the outlines of the observed object to become blurred. Thus, the first signs of astigmatism include:
- Blurred vision, confused similar letters, such as H, M or N; Extreme tiredness in the eyes during reading; Tearing when trying to see focused; Tension in the eye; Excessive sensitivity to light.
Other symptoms, such as distorted field of vision and headache, can arise when the person has high degree astigmatism or associated with other vision problems, such as hyperopia or myopia, for example. Learn the difference between hyperopia, myopia and astigmatism.
Symptoms of child astigmatism
Childhood astigmatism symptoms may not be easy to identify because the child does not know any other way of seeing and, therefore, may not report symptoms.
However, some signs that parents should be aware of are:
- The child brings objects close to his face to see better; Puts his face very close to books and magazines to read; Close his eyes to see better from a distance; Difficulty concentrating at school and low grades.
Children who show these signs should be taken to the eye doctor for an eye exam and, if necessary, started wearing glasses. Find out how the eye exam is done.
What can cause astigmatism
Astigmatism is a hereditary vision problem that can be diagnosed at birth, however, most of the time, it is only confirmed in childhood or adolescence when the person reports that he / she is not seeing well, and may have negative results at school, for example.
Despite being a hereditary disease, astigmatism can also arise due to blows to the eyes, eye diseases, such as keratoconus, for example, or due to a surgery that was not very successful. Astigmatism is usually not caused by being too close to the television or using the computer for many hours, for example.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of astigmatism is determined by the ophthalmologist and is done with the use of glasses or contact lenses that allow to adapt the vision according to the degree that the person presents.
However, in more severe cases of astigmatism, surgery may be recommended in order to modify the cornea and thus improve vision. Surgery, however, is only recommended for people who have stabilized their degree for at least 1 year or who are over 18 years old. Learn more about astigmatism surgery.
