Childhood Vision Problems Are Best Identified At The School Level, Doctor Shares Reasons And Tips

The World Health Organization reports that there are approximately 1.9 crore visually impaired children in the world. In India, there are around 34 lakh school-going children with uncorrected vision. Many of these vision-threatening diseases in children are preventable and treatable if detected early. For this, teachers can serve as the first line of defence by noticing early warning signs. They can also help guide parents to seek timely eye check-ups and assist in organising regular eye check-up camps in schools.

How can a teacher identify the issues?

“When it comes to identifying visual impairments in the classroom, teachers can be an invaluable resource. The most prevalent visual issues include nearsightedness and farsightedness. Nearsighted children may squint, hold their books very close to their faces, or request to sit close to the board, whereas farsighted children may prefer to hold their books far from their faces,” shares Dr Jay Goyal, an Eye Surgeon, LASIK specialist, Retina Specialist, and Director at Surya Eye Hospital, Mumbai.

In addition to these evident symptoms, regular headaches, reading below grade level, and skipping words when reading aloud are further clues that suggest a vision problem. Being unable to see the information being provided can also cause behavioural issues in children.

Identifying Underlying Issues With Eye Movements

Teachers can easily help identify additional eye and vision issues in children beyond near- or farsightedness. Here are some signs to watch out for, shared by Dr Jay Goyal:

• For instance, a youngster may have eye movement issues if their eyes dart around while reading or performing close-up activities.
• Young children may also experience ‘lazy eye’, a condition in which one eye is not centred or moves incorrectly.
• On the playground, children who struggle with ‘eye teaming’ or improper eye coordination may appear awkward or uncoordinated. This is also true for kids who struggle with hand-eye coordination.
• Lack of focus, obvious annoyance or grimacing, excessive blinking or eye rubbing, head tilting or odd posture, minimal involvement, and subpar performance are all typical indicators of visual issues in kids.

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Teachers must inform the child's parents if they observe any of the aforementioned symptoms and suggest that they take their child to an independent optometrist in their area for a comprehensive eye exam.

How can teachers help?

According to Dr Jay Goyal, “Optometrists and ophthalmologists have traditionally conducted eye test for children in schools. In most developed countries, the ratio of optometrists to population is approximately 1:10,000. However, in developing countries like India, the ratio is 1:600,000, and it is even worse in many rural areas, reaching millions.”

“Only 10,000 ophthalmologists, or one ophthalmologist for every 100,000 people, are responsible for treating the entire population in rural India. The primary cause of the high prevalence of visual issues resulting from uncorrected refractive error in underdeveloped nations is a shortage of practitioners,” he adds.

Incorporating teachers into school eye screening programmes can result in early detection of potentially blinding illnesses in children and efficient use of available resources, particularly in rural regions. It will save an enormous amount of time and energy of the eyecare staff, reduce their workload, and provide a wider coverage of eyecare services.

Also Read: Lazy Eye, Crossed Eyes and Other Paediatric Eye Disorders: What Parents Must Know

How To Conduct a Children's Eye Exam

Teachers must help organise regular eye check-up camps in the school. Here are some suggestions by Dr Jay Goyal:

• An optometrist's thorough eye examination is one of the most crucial examinations a young child may get.
• The basic vision screening service offered by schools is a general evaluation that is effective in detecting some common sight conditions. However, it is limited in evaluating a child's overall eye health.
• Many severe eye disorders may not exhibit noticeable symptoms. The only way to be certain is to have an optometrist perform a thorough eye examination.
• The good eye screening program can assess a child's vision and identify any issues that may not be detected during a normal exam.

Conclusion

The Indian economy stands to gain over Rs 156 billion every year from corrected vision among school children. A teacher is a powerful resource for spotting eye and vision problems in young students. Parents can take the next step by ensuring their children receive regular, comprehensive eye exams to diagnose and treat any potential problems.