In eyes with normal vision, light focuses on the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye. Once the retina senses light, it converts the light into the image that you see.
In refractive errors, the eyes are unable to focus light on the retina. This results in blurred vision. The solution is glasses or contact lenses. These bend the beam of light so it focuses properly on the retina. This should restore clear vision. Glasses (or spectacles) is the most common ways of correcting refractive errors.
Types:
Short-Sight (Myopia)
In short-sightedness, the light rays from an object form an image in front of the retina. This happens if the cornea is too curved or if the eye is too long. Distant objects are blurry, but objects at near remain clear.
Long-Sight (Hyperopia)
Distant objects look clear, while nearby objects look blurry. Sometimes, this can be hard to notice. In extreme cases, objects are blurry at any distance. Hyperopia is when light focuses behind the retina because the eye is too small.
Astigmatism
Astigmatism occurs when the curve of the cornea is irregular. This makes vision blurry at any distance.
Symptoms
Find it difficult to read small letters on the blackboard
Squeeze their eyes to see distant objects
Hold books close to their face while reading
Complain of eye pain or headaches
Rub their eyes to see better (This can make their eyelids swell)
Treatment
All three types of errors are best corrected with spectacles. As your child grows, their eye grows too. This means their eye power may change from time to time. For this reason, all children must follow-up regularly with an eye doctor. If your child is under the age of 5, an eye checkup should be done every 6 months. Older children should get checked once a year.
Other possible treatments include:
Contact Lenses usually (for children older than 15)
LASIK surgery (for children over the age of 18 with stable eye power)
