Most parents expect their children to inherit physical characteristics, like eye shape, hair color, or even the way they smile. Seeing yourself reflected in your child can be a source of pride and joy — but one thing you don’t want to pass on is a medical problem, like a vision issue or eye disease.
Unfortunately, many eye problems can be inherited. In fact, there are more than 350 hereditary eye diseases parents can pass on to their kids. So, what can you do to help your child enjoy a lifetime of healthy eyes and good vision?
One important way to protect your child’s vision (and yours) is to have regular eye exams. At Long Island Ophthalmic Concepts, our team offers comprehensive eye exams to help screen for eye diseases and vision problems in adults and kids.
Inherited eye diseases can show up at birth or shortly afterward or take months or even years to develop. For infants, most vision problems, including blindness at birth, are caused by inheritable eye diseases.
In fact, many of the most common eye diseases and vision problems are associated with inherited genes. That includes:
In fact, glaucoma and AMD are the leading causes of blindness among adults worldwide.
Knowing which eye disease can be inherited is also important for your vision. That’s why our team asks about your family medical history — to identify risk factors that could make you more likely to have a specific vision problem.
There’s no way to know whether your “eye genes” will be passed to your child. In fact, many inheritable vision problems — like glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration — won’t become evident until your child is well into their adult years.
What’s more, simply having the gene associated with an eye problem doesn’t mean your child will absolutely develop that disease. But knowing what eye and vision problems you face can help you take preventive steps to keep your child’s vision as healthy as possible as they grow. Regular eye exams are the best way to spot those problems early — and that’s true for you and your child.
During eye exams, our team uses an array of diagnostic assessments to evaluate the eye’s structures and how well you see. Based on the exam results, we can recommend treatments and lifestyle changes, like wearing sunglasses or dietary changes, to help maintain optimal
vision now and in the future.
Eye exams can’t prevent your child from inheriting your vision issues, but they can prepare you to help them protect their eyes and vision. An early start to proper eye care is the best way to ensure they reduce their risks of vision issues now and as adults, too.
Having regular eye exams is important at every age. To learn more about inherited eye diseases and what steps you can take to keep your child’s eyes healthy, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Long Island Ophthalmic Concepts in Bellmore and Great Neck, New York, today.
