Not as Common Vision Problems that Hamper Learning

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Roughly 80% of what a child learns in school is visual. When a child has difficulty in school from learning to read to understanding fractions to seeing the blackboard or books on their desks. The first step is to rule out refractive errors, these are not the only visual disorders that can make learning difficult.
The most common of vision and by extension learning issues can be resolved with eyeglasses for the child. A comprehensive exam can also disclose more serious issues such as:

• Accommodative dysfunction is an eye focusing problem resulting in blurred vision both up close and far away, frequently found in those who have extended near work demands.

• Amblyopia “lazy eye” -The loss or lack of development of clear vision in one or both eyes. Amblyopia is often associated with crossed eyes or is a large difference in the degree of nearsightedness or farsightedness between the two eyes. It usually develops before age 6 and does not affect side vision. If vision is not developed within a critical period. Eyeglasses or contact lenses cannot fully correct vision.

• Convergence insufficiency is a condition in which the eyes are unable to work together when looking at nearby objects. This condition causes one eye to turn outward instead of inward with the other eye creating double or blurred vision. Convergence insufficiency is usually diagnosed in school-aged children but is also seen after a concussion or traumatic brain injury.

• Ocularmotor dysfunction means there is a lack of control in the movement of the eye. 

There are three types of ocularmotor dysfunction:

1. The inability to keep the eyes steadily staring at an object without moving away.

1. The inability of the eyes to rapidly move from one object to another.

1. The inability to keep the eyes steadily staring at an object without moving away.

Post-concussion vision syndrome many people who have had a concussion suffer from some kind of vision problems. A concussion can cause temporary or long-lasting vision-related symptoms. Some head injuries cause damage to the optic nerve. Sometimes these problems don’t appear immediately after the injury but slowly develop over time. 
Regions of the brain that were injured may:

1. Not be receiving enough blood to supply the oxygen needed to process the information your eyes provide.

1. Not send and receive the correct communication signals.

Visual processing disorder refers to a hindered ability to make sense of information taken in through the eyes. Difficulties with visual processing affect how visual information is interpreted or processed by the brain versus problems involving sight or sharpness of vision.
If your child is diagnosed with one of these learning-related vision problems, treatment consists of an individual program of vision therapy under the supervision of a doctor. Special eyeglasses may be prescribed for either full-time use or task-specific use. In some cases, vision therapy is combined with remedial learning programs. Keep in mind children in this situation may experience emotional problems as well. Many children with learning difficulties have an above-average IQ but just process information differently. Reassure the child that learning difficulties and vision problems say nothing about their intelligence.

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Sources:

www.aoa.org

www.mayoclinic.org

www.epicvision.com

www.cognitivefxusa.com

www.ldonline.org

www.allaboutvision.com

Astigmatism

 Image:https://www.uptowneyecare.com/blog/no-stigma-in-astigmatism/

Astigmatism is an imperfection in the curvature of the cornea or lens-the eye isn’t completely round, but more like a football shape. When the eye is completely round, the light comes in and bends evenly which gives a clear view. If the eye is more football-shaped, the light gets bent more in one direction or another. That meaning only part of an object is in focus. Distant objects may look blurry or wavy. It is common to have astigmatism with myopia or hyperopia.

Most people are born with astigmatism, science doesn’t know why. It can also occur after an injury to the eye, after eye surgery, or eye disease.

There are two types of astigmatism:

1. Corneal-This means the defect is on the cornea.
2. Lenticular-This defect is on the lens.

Astigmatism can be corrected with:

• Eyeglasses
• Contact Lenses
• Surgery

Before diving right into surgery always consult with your eye doctor.

Watch as I explain Astigmatism  https://youtu.be/ecQlxGqYc-8

 

#eyegotcha

#PittsburghEyeCare

#PittsburghOptometrist

 

Sources:

www.aoa.org

www.webmd.com

Hyperopia

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This common vision condition, also known as farsightedness, occurs when light rays entering the eye focus behind the retina, not directly on it. A common condition in which nearby objects are blurry, but distant objects are seen clearly.

 The human eye has two parts that focus images:

1. The cornea-The clear smooth front surface of the eye
2. The lens-The transparent biconvex structure in the eye behind the cornea 

Farsightedness occurs when the eyeball is shorter than normal or the cornea is curved too little. This is a refractive error.

Symptoms include:

• Trouble focusing on nearby objects
• Headaches
• Blurry vision
• Eyestrain
• Fatigue after doing close-up work

Some children have additional complications such as:

• Lazy eye (Amblyopia)
• Eyes that aren’t aligned (strabismus)
• Delays in development
• Learning Problems

Treatment options include eyeglasses, contacts, and surgery such as Lasik. If not treated doing close tasks like reading, writing, drawing, or computer work may cause eye strain and headaches to more severe problems as lazy eye or crossed eyes.

 

#eyegotcha

#PittsburghEyeCare

#PittsburghOptometrist

 

Sources:

www.afb.org

www.mayoclinic.org

www.webmd.com

 

Myopia

Myopia is a refractive error more commonly called nearsightedness. A refractive error is when the eye does not bend or refract the light at the proper angle. It is hard to see distant objects as they appear blurry, such as a highway sign, but it’s easy to read a book up close.

 

Refractive errors occur when the shape of the eye doesn’t allow light to focus correctly on the retina. If a person is nearsighted your eyeball is too long from front to back or your cornea is too curved or there are problems with the shape of the lens. Images focus in front of the retina (the light-sensitive part of the eye). Instead of directly right on the retina.

 

Myopia is a pretty common disorder that affects an estimated 40% of Americans. Myopia can be corrected with eyeglasses, contacts, or refractive surgery.

 

Symptoms of my Myopia may include:

• blurry vision when looking at distant objects
• The need to screen or partially close the eyelids to see clearly
• Headaches caused by eyestrain
• Difficulty seeing while driving, especially at night this is called night myopia
• Eye fatigue

Nearsightedness is often first detected during childhood and is commonly diagnosed between the early school years through the teens. A child with myopia will exhibit symptoms like:

• persistently squinting
• The need to sit closer to the TV, movie screen, or the front of the classroom
• The child seems to be unaware of distant objects
• Blinks excessively
• Seems to rub his or her eyes frequently

 

There are three types of myopia:

• Simple-when an otherwise, healthy eye is less than 6 diopters
• High-is when the patient exceeds 6 diopters
• Degenerative- This is relatively rare, about 2% of Americans. It is considered to be a progressive condition. People with this form have a significant risk of retinal detachment, cataracts, and abnormal blood vessel growth.

 

#eyegotcha

#PittsburghEyeCare

#PittsburghOptometrist

 

Sources:

www.mayoclinic.com

www.webmd.com

www.aao.org

www.clevelandclinic.org

Image: www.webmd.com