READING DIFFICULTY IN ADULTS, ADOLESCENTS, AND CHILDREN IN NORTH RIVERSIDE

What symptoms do patients experience when they have reading difficulty?

Simply put: some people fatigue.

That can manifest as blurred vision both at near (eyes just won't focus at near any more) or at a far objects (near vision has caused so much strain that eyes cannot relax to see distance clearly).

This is a growing problem that’s affecting younger and younger patients because of how our eyes work. Physically-speaking, the eye muscles have to work harder to track on a computer screen than on a book. In turn, muscle strain can result in headaches and poor concentration (i.e. poor comprehension or rereading the same line over again—losing your place while reading, or getting to the end of the page and having little memory of what was just read). Poor concentration and comprehension affects students significantly because they can find it hard to pay attention and tune in at school.

Oftentimes, the root of a child’s learning difficulties can be traced back to poor eye health. It’s incredibly important for school-aged children to have their vision checked often and corrected as needed.

Can dry eyes contribute to difficulty reading?

Yes, for most everyone, dry eyes are an issue on a computer. In this case, dry eyes are due to the decrease in blinking and the light of the screen. Dry eyes can cause fatigue, headaches, and blurred vision.

When is it time to see an eye doctor?

When eyestrain, fatigue, poor concentration, or headaches interfere with your quality of life. It’s best to visit earlier rather than later.

What new advances are there to help people see better?

Recently research regarding the effect that blue light has on the visual system has been published.

As you know, Apple now has an adaptation in their devices to change visual wavelength of light shifts at night. Some of the research indicates that sleeping patterns may be affected by the blue light and thus affecting school and work performance due to lack of concentration and fatigue. I do not think that blue light sensitivity is the root cause of all visual/educational deficits, but it is an interesting topic and warrants investigation.

Are there any problematic symptoms patients should be aware of?

As you may now realize, the source of reading difficulty has a myriad of possible causes, and often it is not limited to one problem. Getting vision checked is the only way to know what problems are the most pressing.