Early signs of vision problems in children

Many people think adults are the only ones who have to worry about their visual health. In reality, lots of children have visual problems that may go unnoticed by their parents or teachers. According to Prevent Blindness America, there are many signs that a child is having difficulty seeing, and adults should be on the lookout for both visual and auditory clues that indicate a problem.

For instance, many children with visual issues have noticeably red, swollen or crossed eyes. Other signals include a child’s tendency to rub her eyes frequently, squint, tilt her head, complain that words are blurry, or hold books close to her face when reading. Some children may also close one eye or lean their head forward in an attempt to see something more clearly. Prevent Blindness America suggests that older children may verbally express their visual discomfort, using such phrases as:

• “My eyes are itchy.”
• “Everything seems blurry.”
• “I have a headache” or “I feel dizzy” – particularly after reading a book or doing homework.

If you notice any of these symptoms in your own child, talk to an eye doctor on your True Dental Discounts - vision plan as soon as possible. He or she can perform a complete visual examination and determine the extent of your child’s eye-care needs. In many cases, children who begin wearing glasses to improve their vision end up with better grades and a more focused interest in school. It’s a win-win situation!

Laser treatments for glaucoma patients

If you are one of the over 4 million Americans who suffer from glaucoma, you may be interested in a treatment option known as cyclophotocoagulation. This is a laser surgery that is designed to reduce the fluid entering a patient’s eye, thereby lowering eye pressure. According to the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, cyclophotocoagulation is generally used to treat advanced open-angle glaucoma after other treatment options have not been successful.

In cases of open-angle glaucoma, a patient’s eye does not drain liquid properly, causing pressure to build up and eventually damage the optic nerve. To solve this, some patients turn to cyclophotocoagulation surgery, which uses a laser to damage the ciliary body so that it will create less fluid in the eye. This is generally an outpatient procedure and is performed with local anesthesia. After the surgery, some patients experience pain or inflammation, but this should go away after a couple of weeks.

An ophthalmologist in your True Dental Discounts vision plan will conduct follow-up exams to monitor the pressure in your eye and make sure your eye is healing properly. As a whole, Cyclophotocoagulation can be an extremely beneficial procedure in treating open-angle glaucoma, so talk to your eye doctor to see if it might help in your individual situation.