When and Why Your Child Should See Our Pediatric Optometrist in Elko
It is vitally important for children to see an optometrist on a regular basis. Even if your child has passed a vision screening at school, it is still important for them to see our Elko pediatric optometrist for a comprehensive eye examination.
When Children Should See Our Optometrist for Kids
Vision is important for learning but parents shouldn't wait until their child is in school before scheduling their first comprehensive vision exam. According to the American Optometric Association, children should get their eyes examined at the following stages:
- Six months of age
- Three years of age
- Before entering grade one
- Every two years for asymptomatic school-aged children
- Every year for symptomatic school-aged children
In order to optimize your child's learning abilities, they need good near and distance vision, their eyes need to be able to work together, their eyes should be able to properly focus, and they should have good hand-eye coordination. The earlier our Elko pediatric optometrist is able to identify any vision problems your child may have, the better your child's chances will be of responding to the prescribed treatment.
Common Pediatric Eye Problems
Scheduling your child for an appointment with our optometrist for kids will help to ensure your child does not have any of the following eye problems:
Amblyopia (lazy eye) - decreased vision in one or both eyes due to the brain and eye not working together
Astigmatism - the cornea of the eye has an irregular shape
Color blindness - when the eyes can't see color or differences in color
Conjunctivitis - type of inflammation that is also known as pinkeye
Esotropia - one or both eyes turn inward
Exotropia - one or both eyes turn outward
Myopia - otherwise known as nearsightedness, this is the most common refractive error of the eye
Strabismus - the eyes are not properly aligned
If your child gets diagnosed with any of the above common eye disorders, our Elko optometrist will prescribe the appropriate form of treatment. For some eye disorders such as myopia, it will be as simple as prescribing eyeglasses. Depending on the diagnosis, other types of treatment might include vision therapy, eye surgery, or occlusion therapy such as patching or using eye drops.
While you are taking your child to see our Elko pediatric optometrist on a regular basis, you will want to be on the lookout for any symptoms your child might be having that could indicate a vision problem. Some common symptoms include: holding a book too close, rubbing their eyes, closing one eye when trying to see, and squinting or tilting their head in order see.
Scheduling an Appointment with Our Pediatric Optometrist in Elko Today!
If your child is in need of a comprehensive eye exam or if your child is exhibiting symptoms of having problems with their vision; contact us at our Elko optometrist today at (775) 738-8491. New patients are welcome to fill out our online forms.