Eye problem has become common in kids of the age group three to ten. therein today’s world when kids are hooked to gadgets of all kinds, there are high chances that your child may also face eye problems during his early years. Finding an eye specialist for kids is a daunting task as it is a specialized field.
There are basically three types of eye specialist for kids, Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, and Optician. You should be aware of them, before making a choice.
- Ophthalmologist: An ophthalmologist is an eye surgeon specialist who treats eye diseases of orbit and eyeball by performing eye surgery. This is very necessary since children may have certain problems at the very young age giving rise to eye problems. Going to an ophthalmologist helps in getting over your concern regarding any disease affecting your kid’s eyes.
- Optometrist: An optometrist also specializes in the areas related to prescribing medication, performing routine exams, advising contact glasses and treating eye diseases. They are specialized in areas like developmental, pediatric and behavioral of optometry (measuring eyesight, prescribing lenses and detecting diseases). In case your kid has issues, like dry eyes, pink eyes or any other eye related issue which specifically any relation with rest of the body don’t have, you can consider going to an optometrist. An optometrist who specializes in the impact vision is called a developmental optometrist. He basically provides you with diagnosing, contacts prescription and they also offer vision therapy. A development optometrist provides many exercises and therapy for eye related issues.
- Optician: Opticians are not trained doctors, but they are well trained in providing eye contact lenses as per your requirement. They have every possible equipment to check eyes and provides the lenses/glasses according to that. You can take your kid to an optician in case you feel the need for glasses right away.
What to Expect from An Eye Specialist for Kids?
There are a lot of things you must consider while taking your kid to an eye specialist. You should make sure that the doctor follows every necessary step for the correct inspection of your child’s eye.
- Inspection of The Eye: Make sure that the doctor gets proper checkup of the eyes and eyelids did by examining the various muscle movements of the eyes and pupils and how the back of the eye performs reflection. In children of age 10+, they thoroughly check the back of the eye for better examination using ophthalmoscope.
- Corneal Light Reflex Testing: In this test, the doctor checks the cornea where the light is reflected from the outer surface of the eye. The reflected light should be the focus and centered on both pupils. If the light reflex is not clear, then the eye is abnormal.
- Cover Testing: This test is done to find misalignment or a shift in the eyes; the kid is told to focus on a target and the doctor/optician note down his results.
- Visual Acuity Testing: This is an important test for the kid as the doctor/examiner asks him/her to read the characters on a chart from a proper distance, this helps in knowing the proper vision of a child.
The eye specialist for kids also provides tips and suggestions for improving eyesight. If you think your child is facing a problem in seeing clearly do, make sure to take your child to an eye specialist as soon as possible. Ask friends and acquaintances for a reliable specialist. Do read reviews and check his credentials before visiting.