Problems with Eye Sight can greatly hinder educational development, confidence and enjoying certain professions, but these problems are not always resolved with ordinary glasses.
Treating the Visual problems can help individuals to see and read more comfortably, resulting to achieve better in life.
We may prescribe glasses in cases where a visual problem is present. Coloured glasses may alleviate visual stress. Fewer than one in five people with dyslexia may have visual stress and find coloured glasses helpful.
We treat visual symptoms. Visual symptoms are sometimes associated with dyslexia.
Visual stress or binocular instability can both be a factor contributing to a child’s reading difficulties.
Some conditions, which are related to light sensitivity in disorders such as migraines and epilepsy, can be responsible for distortions on the printed page, especially when black print contrasts sharply with the bright white background of the page.
The really common symptoms apart from not achieving the expected levels of reading can be losing the place on the page when reading or getting letters jumbled up which leads to misreading words or text moving on the page.
Frustration and low self-esteem can occur in all age groups including children who are underachieving due to visual stress. Early support and assistance to solve the issues is therefore essential. The longer it takes to identify and remedy visual stress, the greater the loss of confidence that can result.
As an exhaustive list, all or some of the following symptoms may be present:
- Words moving, blurring, or going double
- Letters changing size or shape
- Patterns or halos of colour in text
- Red, sore, watery eyes
- Headaches when reading
Signs to look out for that may indicate visual stress:
- Misreading text or reading words in the wrong order
- Missing out words or whole lines of text
- Losing the place on a page when reading
- Tiring quickly when reading
- Moving closer to or further away from the book
- Moving the book around on the desk or fidgeting continuously
- Using a finger as a marker on the page
- Rubbing eyes or blinking frequently when reading
- Poor comprehension of reading content
Some people may have all these symptoms but often only suffer with one or two. It’s also harder for children to describe their symptoms or for them to know that what they’re seeing isn’t normal.
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty which can result with the condition to have problems with reading, writing, and spelling as well as other things. People with dyslexia can suffer from visual stress and will benefit from overlays or tinted lenses but people can have visual stress but not necessarily be dyslexic.
If a patient has visual stress and is struggling in other areas than just reading we would advise a referral to an educational psychologist for a possible dyslexia diagnosis.
At Chase Eyecare, We test for visual problems that may affect reading.
Book an appointment for a special investigation of visual problems relevant to reading, we are specially trained to examine children and adults for Visual issues.
What can we do?
Mr. Puri says: “A child’s life can be horribly impacted if they are unable to achieve the expected learning levels, so it is vital that assessment is sought immediately, allowing us to select the correct solution/treatment or for a further referral, e.g. educational psychologists. Most children enjoy the examination experience as we are a very child-friendly practice and we welcome parents and other family members to join in.
