Are eye exams for your children on your to-do list? Doctors say they should be. As the world created awareness on Glaucoma Week, experts also stressed the importance of children’s vision and the health of their eyes, saying it’s critical to get regular vision screenings to detect and correct eye problems early.
Though rare, childhood glaucoma is a serious condition that can cause vision loss if not diagnosed and treated promptly. It often requires surgical intervention. Although glaucoma is traditionally associated with adults, it is a serious eye condition that damages the optic nerve. It occurs when fluid accumulates in the front part of the eye, leading to increased pressure.
Glaucoma can affect one or both eyes; if not diagnosed early, it can lead to permanent vision impairment.
Dr Tarela Sarimiye, a glaucoma specialist speaking at the flag-off of the 2025 World Glaucoma Week at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, said glaucoma in children is also a burden and something families need to know about.
He said that the chances of glaucoma occurring increase with age; it is much more common in the older age group, but that does not preclude glaucoma occurring in children.
“We have children who are born with glaucoma, and we term that congenital glaucoma. We also have glaucoma that occurs in earlier ages, developmental or other forms that we refer to as juvenile glaucoma,” he added.
However, eye disease is still important because, unlike adults, children may not complain. Also, its symptoms are usually much more severe at its more advanced stage.
According to him, “A five-year-old child, for example, with advanced glaucoma, may not complain that he’s not seeing clearly until the parents start saying that he or she is bumping into objects. So that is one of the drawbacks.”
Symptoms in babies can include excessive tearing, light sensitivity, and enlarged eyes, while older children may experience blurry vision or difficulty seeing to the side. So, a child with glaucoma may exhibit discomfort in bright light.
Also, reluctance by the child to engage in visual activities and persistent eye rubbing, particularly for children with a family history of glaucoma, should be reasons for eye examination, specifically for glaucoma.
However, managing glaucoma in children involves a combination of medical and surgical approaches tailored to the individual needs of the patient. It is important to prevent blindness.
“In the social media, all sorts of claims are going on, including that on glaucoma. We hear people claim that if you use this herbal medication, maybe you drink it, or you apply it on your eye, glaucoma will disappear and be cured. That is not true,” he declared.
He, however, declared that there is no cure for glaucoma. When glaucoma is picked early on, treatment is kept to glaucoma at that early stage, preventing it from getting worse. There is no cure anywhere.
According to him, “Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease. Just like the way you have hypertension and the way you have diabetes, they are chronic health conditions. And just like those other conditions, they are treatable. So also, glaucoma is treatable.”
Moreover, Dr Sarimiye declared that the eye examination for a child, particularly at the beginning of the school year, should include a check for refractive error, whether they have defective function in seeing well for near or distance, and other functionality.
Preschool screening allows screening for eye diseases in children, not just glaucoma. Even just before entering secondary school is another opportunity to have such a check.
“Now, for an eye check, generally, we should not wait. One problem we have is our inappropriate health-seeking habits. We tend to wait until there’s a problem before we seek health care. But there should be a paradigm shift. It is not just checking for the eye, but a general health check is key,” Dr Sarimiye added.
However, eye problems are varied, as are their symptoms and signs. The most common eye problem in children is refractive error, or the inability to see clearly, either at a distance or near. One complaint you may hear is that a child is in school and cannot see the chalkboard because he or she sits at the back. The child will need to move to the front, and the teacher may complain.
However, according to Dr Sarimiye, many parents tend to say their children are too young to start using glasses. So, they ignore that demand and say no, that they should just keep managing.
“No child is too young to start using glasses. So, if a child needs it, then the child should start wearing the glasses and wear them all the time. There is nothing like the child is using the glasses too much. Let’s remove the glass for a while, and let’s put it back. No,” he added.
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