“Can kids have astigmatism? ”
My daughter gets tested for astigmatism every time I take her to get her eyes checked by a doctor. Is astigmatism common in children?
13 Answers
Yes
Astigmatism is a natural condition of the eyes. A "perfect" eye would be as round as a billiard ball, but the front surface (the cornea) of most eyes is usually slightly oval, like the side of a football. The more oval the cornea is, the greater the degree of astigmatism. To correct astigmatism, we prescribe a lens that has the opposite curvature, to cancel out the ovalness of the eye. A "normal" eye is expected to have about one half unit of astigmatism power. Indeed, an eye with no astigmatism at all is rather unusual. So, to answer your question, it is entirely possible for people of any age to have some degree of astigmatism, and is is rather unusual if they do not.
Yes. Astigmatism is common. Though usually of a low amount and not bothersome, it can be higher and cause significant blurring. It is best treated early to prevent disturbances in acuity that can cause life long uncorrectable blurring in vision. Untreated high astigmatism is one of the most frequent causes of the development of Amblyopia or “Lazy Eye” that happens in children in the first six years of life. If recognized and treated, it is usually resolved. Early diagnosis and treatment is the best treatment to prevent this problem and allow for restoration of sight, many times with just a pair of glasses.
Roger Ohanesian, MD
Roger Ohanesian, MD
Yes. Children can have astigmatism. The incidence can be quite high and is a leading cause of preventable amblyopia ( lazy eye). Please make sure your son sees an EyeMD ophthalmologist for a complete eye exam and refraction to determine if he needs corrective glasses.
Anyone, regardless of age, can have astigmatism. It means that the shape of the corneas are not perfectly round, that they are oval/eliptical, shaped like an egg, not perfectly round like a baseball.
Yes. It’s common in children. Because kids have enormous focusing power, a cycloplegic (dilated) exam is mandatory.
Absolutely they can.
Yes. If there is enough astigmatism to affect vision, the child should wear glasses with full astigmatism correction prescribed.
Yes. But no more than adults. It is genetic
Yes, they can have a lot of astigmatism. This blurs fine print distance and near and should be corrected with glasses and contacts as early as possible to enhance vision and promote learning.
Yes at any age
Yes
Congenital causes, scared cornea and surface disorders can cause astigmatism. Glasses should correct it
