Your child may have a vision or hearing problem, but you may be unaware of the problem, until their school nurse informs you. Moreover, the symptoms of hearing and vision problems may go unnoticed by you due to your child neglecting to inform you.
Therefore, as a parent, you must take your child to a doctor for a hearing and vision screening. Problems with your child’s vision and hearing can develop as an infant, and that is why, it is extremely vital that you make routine appointments with your doctor for a vision and hearing test.
In addition, parents should remain vigilant to vision and hearing problems by learning to identify symptoms related to both. Here is a list of symptoms associated with hearing and vision problems you need to identify:
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The Symptoms of Vision Problems
A problem with your child’s vision may not be obvious to you, but they are to a pediatrician. The pediatrician can perform a vision screening to identify if your child has a vision problem. Parents can look for the following symptoms to identify if their child is suffering from vision problems:
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They constantly rub their eyes
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Their eyes become teary after a while
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Their eyes begin to show signs of swelling
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Their eyes begin to turn red
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Around their eyes, pus and crust begins to form
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They exhibit sensitivity to bright light
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Their eyelids appear droopy and their eyes begin to bulge
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Their pupil contains gray-white, white, or yellow material
However, these symptoms can be related to another problem entirely such as an infection or cataracts. Do not delay your child’s visit to their pediatrician if you spot these symptoms when they are under the age of three. Even if you do not detect any symptoms of vision problems, you should still not delay taking your child in for a vision screening.
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The Symptoms of Hearing Problems
Children learn to convey their message by imitating the noises and sounds they hear in their surroundings. You may not know they are suffering from hearing problems, until it becomes evident. For this reason, parents should take their children to a pediatrician for a hearing test when they are young.
In doing so, the pediatrician will be able to catch the problem earlier and provide them with a hearing aid to maximize their hearing. Parents can also watch for early indications of hearing loss by looking for the following symptoms:
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They sometimes respond to you and sometimes do not
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They watch TV at an extremely loud volume
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They say “what” several times when you talk to them
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They move one of their ear forward to listen better, saying it’s their good ear
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Their grades drop in class with their teacher saying that they do not respond to their questions
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They speak louder than before
If you suspect your child has a vision or hearing problem, make an appointment with Pediatric Healthcare of Northwest Houston for a hearing and vision screening.
