Your child may have vision screening tests in school, and if no problems are found, you may assume that your child has healthy eyes. However, it's still a good practice to have your child's eyes examined by an optometrist before starting school, and even after school-administered tests have been given. Here's why eye exams are important for kids.

Early Detection Of Problems Allows Early Treatment

If your child has a vision abnormality, you want to treat it as early as possible so it doesn't affect their development. By testing your child before they start school, you'll be able to catch vision problems that could otherwise interfere with their ability to learn and succeed in the classroom. An eye doctor can test your child's vision when they're still a baby using age-appropriate methods. A toddler can undergo vision screening using symbols they recognize rather than letters. There are several options for checking a young child's vision in order to diagnose vision problems early.

Eye Conditions Can Be Corrected

Your child might have eye problems other than vision difficulties. A lazy eye, misaligned eyes, color blindness, problems with depth perception, and health problems with the structures of the eyes and eyelids can pose problems in school or with your child's quality of life. Some problems, such as color blindness, need to be identified so your child can adapt to them. Other problems, such as a lazy eye, need treatments to correct the situation so that your child's eyes can develop normally.

Strain Associated With Technology Can Be Monitored

Kids often start using tablets at very young ages, and once your child starts school, they'll probably use a tablet or computer more often. Excessive use of technology exposes your child's eyes to blue light. Plus, reading small print or looking at small graphics could strain your child's eyes if they don't stop and change focus regularly. An optometrist can monitor your child for eye problems that might arise due to overuse of technology and recommend ways to use devices with less harm on the eyes.

It can be difficult to know when your child has eye problems, but sometimes there are signs. If your child doesn't track movement, rubs their eyes frequently, or blinks often, those might be signs you need to have an eye exam done. When you suspect something is wrong with your child's eyes, you should have them examined as soon as you can. Even if you think your child's eyes are healthy, it's still good to have an eye exam by a professional as a baseline. As your child grows, bring them in for repeat eye exams at the frequency recommended by the optometrist so that you can ensure your child has good vision and healthy eyes.