The National Eye Institute recognizes the increasing number of myopia (nearsightedness) cases in children. When you have myopia, you see objects blurry when they are far away but clearly when they are near. Your eye’s shape bends or refracts the rays of light the wrong way. Instead of focusing the images on your retina, your eye focuses them in front of it. Myopia can develop quickly or slowly. If you think your child has myopia, here’s what you should know about the symptoms of this eye condition.
 

Eyestrain

This symptom is prevalent in people who have eye issues. Take note that eyestrain is not a disease. It is a symptom. You begin to experience eyestrain when you use your eyes too much. This usually happens after you read, work on your computer, or drive for extended hours. Children who have myopia have an extremely difficult time focusing on what they see. Their eyes work harder to determine what’s in front of them. If your child starts to have tired eyes after looking at something far away for a long time, go to a pediatric eye care provider. This will confirm your child’s myopia.
 

Headaches

Nearsightedness can also manifest through headaches. Experts say that it is a common symptom of uncorrected myopia, which is a refractive error. This kind of error in vision usually causes blurry vision and eyestrain. In a normal eye without refractive errors (emmetropia), the retina receives light without any issue. The retina’s photoreceptor cells transform light into signals that the optic nerves deliver to the brain’s visual center. In myopia, light focuses before it reaches the retina. This results in headaches and blurry vision from eyestrain.
 

Squinting

Because of difficulty in focusing, your child resorts to squinting. Through squinting, you increase the level of clarity in your vision. The principle that explains this is the “pinhole effect.” Squinting is like looking through a tiny pinhole. A small amount of light enters your eye, preventing the out-of-focus light from getting in. The tiny amount of light reaches the retina while the rest stays in the periphery.
 

Difficulty Seeing From a Distance

If your child’s seat in the classroom is in the middle or at the back, your child may have difficulty keeping up with the lessons. You may notice that your child’s grades are starting to slip because your child doesn’t see visual aids clearly anymore. Another telltale clue is when you notice that your child is starting to move closer to the television or bring electronic gadgets up close. This calls for a comprehensive eye exam.
 

Other Symptoms

Specialists say that a child who has myopia may also become unaware of people and things that are far away. Excessive blinking, persistent squinting, and frequent eye rubbing are significant symptoms as well.
 

To catch myopia early, you should know what symptoms to spot. Early detection results in early treatment. At Inclima Eye Care, we encourage our patients to adhere to their routine eye exams. Please visit our clinic in West Haven, Connecticut, for an in-house consultation. You can also call us at 203-694-0418 if you want to schedule an appointment or ask questions about our myopia management packages.