4 Points to Consider When Getting Your Child Eyeglasses -
Date:2026.02.28 Views:14
1. When getting glasses, it is essential to enlarge the pupils for accurate vision testing.
After discovering that a child has poor vision, it is necessary to have an eye examination at a reputable hospital's ophthalmology department to rule out any organic diseases. For children under 12 years old, it is best to use 1% atropine to dilate the pupils during the first vision test to ensure complete paralysis of the ciliary muscle before conducting the test. For children over 13 years old, compound tropicamide-based rapid pupil dilation vision tests can be used. Based on the test results, consider the eye position and vision conditions comprehensively when re-testing to provide the appropriate prescription before fitting the glasses. Never try to save time by not enlarging the pupils for the vision test and fitting the glasses, as there are significant individual differences among children, and their eyes have extremely strong accommodation ability. In clinical practice, it is common to see cases where small pupil dilation vision tests result in myopia, while after pupil dilation, the test results show hyperopia. In clinical settings, those who experience discomfort while wearing glasses and have difficulty in vision correction are mostly due to inaccurate vision testing and inappropriate prescription, and even some may be misdiagnosed as having amblyopia.
II. The glasses must be properly fitted
If the doctor or optometrist has accurately determined the light and provided an appropriate prescription for glasses, it is also crucial to ensure that the glasses are properly fitted according to the prescription. In practice, we often encounter cases where the glasses and the prescription do not match, such as deviations in the astigmatism axis, inconsistent horizontal axis, inconsistent pupil distance, etc., which cause discomfort and affect the correction of children's vision. Therefore, we hereby remind parents that in addition to having their children examined at a reputable hospital, they should also choose a reputable optical store for the fitting of glasses. Of course, we also suggest that optical stores conduct a comprehensive inspection on the glasses before fitting to prevent any adverse consequences for children.
III. Poor vision in children is not necessarily pseudo-myopia
There are many reasons for poor eyesight in children. Apart from organic causes, refractive errors such as hyperopia, myopia, and astigmatism can all contribute to it. False myopia, medically known as accommodative myopia, is caused by excessive accommodation of the ciliary muscle. False myopia disappears after the ciliary muscle is paralyzed and the pupil dilates to remove accommodation. However, true myopia remains after pupil dilation. Regardless of myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism, it is recommended that you have an eye examination and wear glasses as soon as possible. If the refractive error disappears after dilation, it is determined to be false myopia. In this case, it is recommended to pay attention to eye hygiene to prevent eye fatigue. When the intraocular pressure is not high, you can apply a drop of compound tropicamide eye drops before going to bed to relieve accommodation tension.
IV. Early Treatment is Essential for Children with Amblyopia
Amblyopia is a serious health issue among over 300 million children in China. Early detection and prompt treatment are crucial. Parents must not confuse amblyopia with myopia, astigmatism, hyperopia, or other vision problems. Amblyopia refers to children whose visual acuity cannot be corrected to above 0.9 through glasses, and who have no stereoscopic vision function. The best treatment period is before the preschool age. As children grow older, the treatment becomes more difficult. If the visual development plasticity period before the age of 13 is exceeded, the chances of recovery through treatment become very small. Once amblyopia is detected, it is essential to seek medical treatment at a reputable hospital to avoid missing the best treatment period and regretting it for life.
