Vision problems in children are very frequent and it is important to pay attention to some warning signs that could indicate pathologies: "children often do not clearly communicate that they have an eye problem" explains Dr. Federico Badalà, Micro expert Eye Surgery, for this reason it is necessary to pay attention to some specific signs:

1. The child sits too close to the TV or moves very close to the reading surface

These incorrect habits could be a sign of imperfect vision, which forces the child to make excessive effort to be able to see the TV well. The same applies if he holds a book very close to his eyes when reading, adopting incorrect postures; in this case he could suffer from myopia .

2. Continuous rubbing of the eyes

Children rub their eyes often, especially when they are tired or angry; However, if this gesture becomes a habit and occurs regularly, both when the child plays and when he tries to concentrate, it could signal possible vision problems and in the long run could be associated with diseases such as keratoconus or allergic conjunctivitis .

3. Excessive tearing or sensitivity to light

If your child experiences discomfort or is sensitive to light, he or she may suffer from photophobia or extreme sensitivity to light , problems that can cause headaches and nausea in the long run. Excessive sensitivity to light could therefore indicate a series of eye diseases such as blepharitis, allergic conjunctivitis or corneal diseases; also in this case it is a good idea to talk about it with your family doctor or ophthalmologist.

4. Closing one eye

Does the child close one eye when watching TV or reading a book? This can be a symptom of refractive errors (such as nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism) or a binocular problem, which does not allow the eyes to work together properly.

5. The eyes do not point in the same direction

If your child's eyes don't point in the same direction, he or she may have a strabismus problem or suffer from lazy eye syndrome . In this case it is mandatory to have the child checked by an ophthalmologist; in fact, the sooner you notice the problem, the easier it can be corrected with the use of glasses, with corrective patches or with surgery. Finally, Dr. Badalà underlines the importance of regular eye examinations, especially if there are vision problems in the family. After the first visit, which usually takes place at birth, it is advisable to have eye exams at 2 years of age and then at 4 years of age. Subsequently, children should have an eye exam at the ophthalmologist at least every two years.