Astigmatisme bij kinderen: Symptomen, oorzaken en behandeling

• Blinking eyes and tilting the head when viewing objects( as if the child wants to better consider something).
• Unwillingness to study pictures in books, at older age - to read and write.Examination of any objects makes the child's eyes tense, because of which there is a certain discomfort( headache, a feeling of raspiraniya in the eyes), so purely instinctively the child fences himself off from unpleasant sensations.

Presence of these signs, of course, does not necessarily mean that the child has astigmatism, but is on the alert and it is worthwhile to turn to the ophthalmologist.An experienced doctor will be able to detect the disease even in a one-year-old baby.

More adult children can tell about their health, for example, complain of a headache, which with astigmatism often localizes above the eyebrows and in the forehead, dizziness, double vision, blurred objects. However, many guys are so used to the distorted vision of objects that I begin to perceive it as normal, so parents do not realize that their child has problems with vision.This again confirms the need for regular examinations in the children's oculist.

Beginning trips to this specialist should be from 2 months of age of the child and in the subsequent at least once a year.

Diagnosis

To diagnose astigmatism in children, ophthalmologists use the following methods:

• Vision( definition of visual acuity).
• Autorefractometry( investigation of the optical properties of the eye).
• Keratometry( measurement of the curvature of the surface of the cornea).
• Computer keratotopography( determining the sphericity of the cornea with the help of an automated computer system).

Treatment of astigmatism in children

Astigmatism is usually corrected in two ways: conservative and operative. Conservative method involves wearing special glasses and contact lenses, surgical - surgical or laser correction. In childhood( under 18 years of age) only conservative methods of treatment of are used, as the eye continues to grow and develop, therefore the results of the operation may turn out to be short-lived, which makes any surgical interventions inexpedient.

The simplest and most affordable way to correct astigmatism in children is with complex( cylindrical) glasses. Their constant wearing can initially cause discomfort in the child, but if the glasses are chosen correctly, discomfort disappears, except in cases of severe astigmatism, in which the child is worried about dizziness and pain in the eyes, even with the correct selection of glasses.To glasses were really effective, they must be changed in time to stronger or weaker( for this, every 6 months you should visit an ophthalmologist).

In addition to spectacle correction, with a weak astigmatism apply special solid contact lenses, which are worn only for the night. Their main task is to gradually give the cornea the right shape.This method of correction is called orthokeratology.

In addition, toric contact lenses - lenses, which have a special shape, can be used in childhood to simultaneously correct astigmatism and eliminate the existing pathology of refraction( nearsightedness or farsightedness).

In addition to the correction methods described, other conservative treatments are used to treat children with astigmatism( they help combat both astigmatism and accompanying visual impairment):

• Laser stimulation.
• Stimulation of the amblyopic meridian.
• Development of absolute and relative accommodation.
• Vacuum massage.Computerized Pleoptics, Orthoptics, etc.

Prevention of astigmatism in a child

It is impossible to prevent the onset of congenital astigmatism, but it is possible to protect a child from developing an acquired form of a disease.For this, it is necessary to remember such preventive measures as:

• Observing the lighting mode.It is desirable that all visual loads pass in bright light.
• Constant alternation of visual and physical loads.
• Frequent performance of special exercises for the eyes( blinking, blinking, alternately focusing on distant and near objects, drawing with eyes of the eight).
• Massage of the eyelids( carried out in a circular motion gently and gently).
• Balanced power supply.

In addition, it is important to protect the child's eyes from injuries and infections, and also annually to take him to an ophthalmologist for an examination.

Zubkova Olga Sergeevna, medical reviewer, epidemiologist doctor