Severe astigmatism in children

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor II Cao Thi Thanh - Pediatrician - Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Astigmatism is a common refractive error, which occurs when the image observed after entering the eye cannot focus on the retina, causing blurred vision.
Astigmatism in children occurs mainly due to corneal distortion. The cornea is the transparent, cone-shaped part of the eye that is located in front of the eyeball, allowing light to enter the eye. When the cornea is deformed (no longer keeping its curvature) it will cause light rays entering the eye to focus at many different points, causing astigmatism. In addition, astigmatism is caused by an abnormal curvature of the lens.

Symptoms of severe astigmatism include:
Blurred vision, blurred vision both near and far, blurred or distorted vision Headache and eye fatigue (forehead and temple areas) Squinting Watery eyes eyes, eyes are irritated When looking at an object with two or three shadows

If the child has severe astigmatism and is not corrected before the age of 5, there is a high chance of developing amblyopia. Therefore, it is important for parents and teachers to monitor astigmatism and take children to have regular eye exams for appropriate treatment to avoid dangerous complications.

For children with severe astigmatism, it is necessary to apply treatment measures to prevent the disease from worsening or causing amblyopia. Treatment measures for children with severe astigmatism include:
Glasses: Glasses are simple, widely applied, highly effective, with few complications. Accordingly, children need to be advised on the type of glasses that are appropriate for their level and needs. Surgery: If corrective lenses are not successful, the patient must undergo surgery. This method uses a laser, a microsurgery knife to reshape the cornea. Specifically, some types of surgery are commonly applied such as refractive change to shape the corneal parenchyma (LASIK), change the refractive change of the cornea to shape the subepithelial flap, refractive change to remove the corneal epithelium. . Ortho-K (Orthokeratology) customize: Ortho-K is a treatment method that uses hard contact lenses, specially designed to be worn at night to temporarily change the image of the cornea during sleep, helping the human eye. The disease can be seen clearly the next morning and persists throughout the day.

The cause of astigmatism is mainly due to corneal distortion. Normally, the surface of the cornea is spherical, but in astigmatism, the cornea has an irregular curvature (oval shape). This change in the surface curvature of the cornea causes the image of the object to converge into many paths leading to blurred vision.

Some experts believe that astigmatism is hereditary, and has nothing to do with a child's habits and how much they use their eyes. However, it is also undeniable that the impact of other factors such as poor nutrition, habits of watching television, computers, and phones too much do not contribute to the increase in the rate of children with astigmatism.
In addition, there are some other causes of astigmatism in children such as eye damage (corneal scarring, etc.); severe nearsightedness or farsightedness; history of eye surgery.

Instruct children to sit in the correct posture, especially when studying (back straight, eyes about 30cm away from face). The child's classroom must have enough light, tables and chairs suitable for the child's age. Balance study time with outdoor fun activities. Do not allow children to read, watch TV, or play on the computer for more than 2 hours in a row. Proper nutrition: Rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals good for the eyes. Severe astigmatism in children, if not examined and treated at an early stage, can greatly affect eye health later in life, even leading to blindness. Therefore, when seeing signs of poor vision in their children, parents need to take their children to the doctor for the best treatment advice.
Eye Specialist of Vinmec International General Hospital is one of the leading hospitals in the country in the treatment of eye-related diseases, with comprehensive quality in both expertise and medical services. In particular, here, there is a team of medical professionals with many years of experience in the profession that will ensure comprehensive vision and eye health care for children and adults.