Eye Prescription Changes in Teens & Kids

With the high cost of prescription lenses, you might find yourself crossing your fingers at your child's eye exams, hoping that nothing has changed that would necessitate buying a new pair of glasses. Unfortunately, as your child nears puberty or enters the teen years, frequent prescription changes become more likely.

  1. Why Changes Occur

    • During puberty and the teen years, rapid growth -- including the eyes -- can cause your child's prescription to change within just a few months, ophthalmologist Dr. Sayed Jovkar explains on the All About Vision website. For this reason, the American Optometric Association recommends that children at risk for eye problems have an eye exam each year. If your child wears glasses, his eye doctor will tell you his recommendations for how often he should be seen.

    Myopia

    • Myopia and hyperopia are two types of refractive errors that can cause poor vision. If you child has myopia, the medical term for nearsightedness, he can see things up close but can't see things far away. A longer-than-normal eyeball often causes myopia. Teens with myopia, the most common type of refractory disorder in childhood, according to Boston Children's Hospital, often need frequent prescription changes in their teens and early 20s, optometrist Simon Kay explains.

    Hyperopia

    • Many children have hyperopia, or farsightedness -- the ability to see objects at a distance while objects close by appear out of focus -- when they're young, but outgrow it as the eyeball lengthens. Children can often compensate for farsightedness by straining and may not realize they don't see normally. Mild hyperopia normally doesn't require glasses, according to the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. If you know your child is farsighted and he complains of eyestrain, or you notice his eyes crossing, he needs an exam.

    Astigmatism

    • Hyperopia or myopia and astigmatism can occur together. Astigmatism, an abnormal or irregular curve of the cornea, can cause blurring when looking at objects either far away or nearby. Astigmatism can improve or worsen as your child and his eyes grow, the American Optometric Assocation states. If your child has astigmatism along with another refractive error, he has two factors that could lead to a prescription change as he grows.

    When to See the Doctor

    • Besides his yearly exam, your child should see the eye doctor any time he complains that he's having trouble seeing, even if he was seen a month ago. The American Optometric Association recommends eye exams every two years for children between the ages of 6 and 18 who don't currently wear glasses to diagnose any problems before they interfere with your child's schoolwork.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • How to Pack Smart for a Long Drive With Kids
      Long drives with the kids bring to mind thoughts of screaming, whining siblings, a van full of granola wrappers lining the floor and lots of hair-pulling (yours). New and veteran parents alike have struggled to entertain -- or at least pacify -- thei
    • How to Encourage a Child to be More Independent
      Many kids naturally hit an independent stage, but some children hold back in certain situations, preferring to stay near a parent instead of tackling the situation solo. An independent child feels confident in his ability to tackle a task, is self-mo
    • Deer Hunting With Daughters
      Hunting can be an excellent way for dads and moms to spend quality time with their daughters. The popularity of hunting as a sport for women has risen more than 40 percent in the past decade, according to a 2013 article in "The New York Times,&q