We are skilled and experienced providers of comprehensive vision care for school aged children and will do our very best to make sure that their eyes are strong and healthy as they grow. We will check to make sure that your children are seeing clearly, that the two eyes are working together, focusing properly, as well as discuss the possible ways to stop or slow down their myopia progression. Undiagnosed eye problems in school-aged children can lead to many problems including poor grades, fatigue while reading and difficulty keeping up in school. As your children grow, their scholastic visual demands grow as well. The amount of screen time they have increases every year as well. We have special lenses that can block the harmful blue light emitted from all the devices our children are using everyday.
* Children whose parents wish to significantly slow or stop the progression of myopia (nearsightedness). University studies of large samples of nearsighted children show that when Ortho K is done properly, myopia can be halted and even reversed over a period of years with the great majority of nearsighted children.
Common Childhood Eye Problems
Children often do not realize that they cannot see well because they do not have a way to compare their vision with normal visual acuity. Therefore, it is very important to have your child visit Dr. Kalfayan to determine if your child’s eyes are developing normally and if they can see clearly.
- Color Blindness – Color blindness is the inability to see colors clearly. The most common type is red/green color blindness, but children can also be blue/yellow colorblind and completely colorblind. While there’s no cure, certain lenses and phone apps can help individuals cope with this eye condition.
- Childhood Cataracts – Babies can be born with cataracts and children can develop them. Glasses can usually correct vision, but in severe cases, eye surgery may be needed.
- Depth Perception Problems – If your child has trouble with hand/eye coordination or catching or throwing balls, it could be due to a depth perception problem. When diagnosed early, vision therapy may help improve depth perception.
- Eye Tracking and Teaming – Vision therapy can help with tracking and teaming problems, which can make reading difficult, result in double-vision and cause problems focusing.
- Farsightedness – Farsightedness is the inability to see objects up close. Children with farsightedness may hold objects, books and papers away from their face in order to see them more clearly. Corrective lenses can help with this refractive error.
- Lazy Eye – A lazy eye usually develops prior to the age of six. This condition causes one eye to be significantly weaker in vision than the other eye. Eye patching and vision therapy can help strengthen a weak or lazy eye.
- Nearsightedness – Nearsightedness is getting more common in children. This is the inability to see objects at a distance. Glasses can help correct this refractive error. Ortho-k lenses may also be able to help stem the progression.
- Eye Infections – Pink eye and styes are common childhood eye infections. Our optometrist can diagnose eye infections and recommend the appropriate course of treatment.
- Strabismus – Crossed eyes occur in about 5 percent of children and can result in double-vision. Treatment usually begins with vision therapy. However, in some cases, surgery may be needed to correct the crossed eyes.
Pediatric Eye Exams with Dr. Kalfayan
Childhood eye exams can catch eye problems early so that they can be corrected before they affect your child’s ability to develop hand/eye coordination, learn and read. Children should have their first eye exam at our office when they are five year old. This helps check the development of the eyes and diagnose problems with eye movement and focus. Children, who need corrective lenses or vision therapy, will need to have eye exams every year.
To schedule your child’s next comprehensive eye exam with Dr. Kalfayan to check for vision and eye health and movement problems, call us today at (954) 946-3939.
