Pediatric Eye Exams Carlsbad CA | Beyond Vision Center

Pediatric eye care at our office

Here at Beyond Vision Center in Carlsbad, CA, we are pleased to offer eye care to patients of all ages, including children! There is no better peace of mind than knowing that your child is healthy, and Dr. Raja and Dr. Morgan both love helping ensure the eye health and visual accuracy of our young patients. Dr. Raja completed her residency with a specialty in pediatric optometry and has experience working with children in a community health clinic.

Dr. Morgan also gained experience working with children during his time at a private practice. We strive to provide a comfortable and welcoming environment for kids at our optometry practice, whether they are tagging along for your appointment or undergoing an eye exam of their own. Regular eye exams are important from infancy and on, so we make sure to start our young patients off with a positive experience from their very first appointment here in Carlsbad!

How healthy vision aids in development

All aspects of a child’s health are important to ensuring their success as they continue to grow, develop, and learn. Visual health, in particular, is key to successful learning in the classroom and adopting new visual perception skills that children will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Here at BVC, we are pleased to offer treatment for many different adolescent ocular conditions so that our pediatric patients can achieve effortless vision.

Pediatric Eye Exams

Pediatric eye exams are vital to ensuring a child’s visual health. Often kids are unable to identify or articulate changes or problems with their vision. During pediatric eye exams, our eye doctors are able to screen for visual conditions and ocular diseases that may otherwise impact their health and development.

Testing for eye health and visual acuity

Eye exams may look different for kids with different needs or ages, but there are certain tests you can expect our eye doctors to perform to ensure your child’s visual health and accuracy. Your child will be tested for visual acuity, eye focusing, depth perception, color perception, eye tracking, peripheral awareness, and eye muscle teaming. All of these eye tests help our doctors to make sure that every aspect of your child’s vision that is vital to their health and development is working at peak performance!

Our pediatric eye care services

At our Carlsbad practice, we offer many eye care services for kids to diagnose, and we treat any potential issues that could get in the way of proper development.

Myopia treatment

Myopia, most commonly known as nearsightedness, is a condition in which the eye fails to properly focus light onto the retina causing a refractive error. Patients with myopia may experience headaches, eye strain, and difficulty seeing distant objects. This can be troublesome for kids whose school days rely on sharp minds and visually following lessons. Myopia is a condition that our doctors check for during comprehensive eye exams. Treatment can include low-dose atropine eye drops, eyeglasses, or contact lenses. With proper management, the condition should not get in the way of your child's success.

Crossed eye treatment

Strabismus, more commonly known as crossed eye, is an eye condition in which the eyes do not align in the same direction. The condition is caused by a failure of the muscles surrounding the eyes to work properly together, causing the lack of alignment. As a result, kids with amblyopia may experience inadequate depth perception, double vision, frequent blinking and squinting, and more. If left untreated, crossed eye may progress to amblyopia and a potential loss of vision in one eye.

At our Carlsbad practice, we are prepared to diagnose and treat crossed eye so that your child can experience the ease of effortless vision! Early treatment typically involves prescribing eyeglasses or contacts. Eyeglasses with special prism lenses may be necessary for some to reduce how much the eye must turn to view objects. In some severe cases, eye muscle surgery may be necessary. Vision therapy is another typical treatment in which a series of visual activities are prescribed to encourage the brain and eyes to work together more effectively. Visit our Crossed Eye and Lazy Eye Treatment page to learn more about the condition.

Lazy eye treatment

Lazy eye, or amblyopia, occurs most commonly in infants and young children as their eyes develop. Kids with amblyopia may experience one eye that appears to wander outward or inward and poor vision in that eye. Over time, the brain can begin to ignore signals from this weaker eye. If left untreated during development, this vision loss can worsen. Amblyopia is the leading cause of vision loss among children. Thankfully, early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent long-term vision loss or problems.

Treatment for amblyopia typically involves forcing the brain to rely more heavily on the weaker eye, therefore strengthening the connection and improving sight. Special eyeglasses, contacts, eye patches, or blurring eye drops may be used to temporarily weaken the stronger eye, therefore developing the connection between the brain and the weaker eye. Visit our Crossed Eye and Lazy Eye Treatment page to learn more about the condition.

Emergency eye treatment

While eye care emergencies can occur at any age, kids are most likely to experience a potential injury while playing or participating in sports. If an incident should occur, call us immediately so our staff can walk you through at-home emergency eye care steps, or advise you to come in for assistance.

More eye care services

Every child is different and may require more specified diagnosis and treatment for their individual needs. We are pleased to offer a multitude of eye care services to ensure that your child’s vision is working properly for successful growth and development! Vision therapy, specialty contact lenses, and dry eye treatment, are just a few more of the eye care services that we offer.

Check out our Eye Care Services page to learn more.

Eyewear For Kids

At our optical shop, we offer a great selection of children’s frames so that our young patients can feel confident about their glasses. Our optician will help you and your child select a pair that works best for their lenses, treatment needs, face, and lifestyle. Picking out the first pair of glasses can be an important milestone for many children, and our staff always makes sure to treat it as such!

More about pediatric eye care at BVC

If your child is due for an exam or starts showing any signs of visual dysfunction, give us a call and schedule an appointment. Additionally, we are always happy to answer any questions about visual health and development!

FAQ

When should my child have their first eye exam?

According to the American Optometric Association, children should have their first eye exam with an eye doctor at around 6 months old and again before they begin preschool or kindergarten.

How often should I bring my child in for an exam?

If your child has no vision problems, they can come in for a visit to the eye doctor once a year. Children with glasses, contact lenses, or other vision needs should come in once a year. However, it is always best to be proactive with visual health! If there is a family history of ocular issues, diagnosis of a medical condition that may impact visual health, or your child displays any problems or changes with their vision, schedule an exam so we can ensure that their vision is developing properly.

Will my child experience pain at their eye exam?

At our Carlsbad practice, we do everything we can to make sure that your child’s visit is comfortable and pleasant! Some of our tests involve bright lights that can cause brief discomfort, but your child should not experience pain during their eye exam.

Helpful reviews

“Dr. Morgan and Dr. Raja are amazing! Have been seeing Dr. Levy for years and was super sad to see him and Nina retire. Happy to say our experience with the new team has been exceptional! Our daughter had an emergency and they didn’t even hesitate to meet us at their office on a Sunday. So very grateful and thankful.”
– Tiffany F.
“Sloan and Hunter are great optometrists for our family. They both knew how to work with kids and were very welcoming and knowledgeable. My husband and I would definitely recommend them.”
– Karishma B.
“Beyond Vision is beyond expectations. The team is not only knowledgeable but also incredibly accommodating. My family and I will be back for years to come.”
– Cara R.

Pediatric Eye Doctor Carlsbad, CA