At Des Plaines Eye Care Center in Des Plaines, we offer eye care services for the entire family. Our pediatric eye exams can ensure that your child's vision is healthy and correct any vision issues if needed.
Pediatric Eye Exams
Pediatric eye exams are an important part of preventative eye care. It's important to know that schools and pediatricians often perform vision screenings. However, these screenings can't detect all vision or eye health problems, so they aren't a substitute for a comprehensive children's eye exam performed by an optometrist.
Common Pediatric Eye Conditions
Children can develop many eye conditions because their eyes are developing during this stage. As a parent, you may worry about your child's vision. However, most eye conditions are easily treatable. You should also know that early detection and treatment can improve your child's outcome if they do develop an eye condition.
Refractive Errors
We often diagnose refractive errors in our office. They are a common issue for children and adults. These include myopia, or nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. Children with refractive errors may struggle with school or sit very close to the TV. Refractive errors can be hard to detect in younger kids without an eye exam.
Strabismus or Crossed Eyes
Strabismus occurs when the eyes aren't properly aligned. It affects 4% of the population, making it more common than most people realize. Crossed eyes make it difficult for the eyes to work together, which impairs vision. Treatment for strabismus can include simple interventions like eyeglasses or eye exercises. In severe cases, surgery on the eye muscles may be needed.
Amblyopia or Lazy Eye
Amblyopia, better known as lazy eye, happens when your child's eyes don't develop properly. Generally, lazy eye only affects one eye. One eye will be stronger, and the child will rely strongly on this eye for vision. When discovered early, lazy eye can be treated. This usually means encouraging the child to use their weaker or "lazy" eye. Your optometrist may recommend that your child wear an eye patch on their strong eye or use eyedrops to make the vision in the strong eye blurry.
Nystagmus
Nystagmus occurs when your child's eye muscles move involuntarily. The movement can be up and down or side to side. Nystagmus can occur soon after birth or appear as children grow. The disorder can be caused by problems with the optic nerve, problems with the retina, or a developmental issue in the brain. In many cases, the cause of the problem can't be identified.
Contact Des Plaines Eye Care Center
As a parent, you want the best for your child and know that healthy vision is a key part of a great childhood. If you are looking for a child or teen vision exam in Des Plaines, contact Des Plaines Eye Care Center at (224) 236-2020. Our services include eye exams, vision correction, and treatment of eye conditions for children and teens.