Asthenopia in Schoolchildren, Orthoptic and Ophthalmological Findings and Treatment

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the orthoptic and ophthalmological findings in schoolchildren with asthenopia, to correlate them with asthenopic symptoms and to evaluate the effect of treatment. One hundred and twenty schoolchildren, aged 6-16 years, were included in the study. They were all referred by school nurses, for asthenopic symptoms. An orthoptic and ophthalmological assessment was performed. The main diagnoses were accommodative insufficiency, convergence insufficiency, refractive errors, and latent strabismus. Reading glasses could help 98% of the schoolchildren with reduced accommodation, and 94% of the children with refractive errors and heterophorias were helped with appropriate spherical, cylindrical and prism correction. Convergence exercise reduced the symptoms in all patients with convergence insufficiency. Ninety-three percent of all 120 schoolchildren were symptom free 3-6 month after treatment had started. By an orthoptic and ophthalmological examination abnormalities in schoolchildren with asthenopia related to visual problems can be identified. Most of the children were relieved from their symptoms by giving adequate glasses, convergence exercises and surgery.

Accommodation in young adults wearing aspheric multifocal soft contact lenses

“…Reduced accommodative ability often results in symptoms such as blur at near, headaches, asthenopia, and decreased performance after prolonged periods of near work (e.g. reading and computer work), despite having good visual acuity (either corrected or unaided) and lack of identifiable ophthalmic pathology [12]. There are two main choices of treatment for accommodative dysfunction: refractive correction, i.e.…”

Orthoptic Findings and Asthenopia in a Population of Swedish Schoolchildren Aged 6 to 16 Years

“…A recent prevalence study showed that 15.9% of 6-year-old schoolchildren reported asthenopia but that it was not related to refractive errors or strabismus (Ip et al, 2006). Other studies have reported that asthenopia is commonly associated with accommodative insufficiency (Borsting et al, 2003;Abdi & Rydberg, 2005;Sterner et al, 2006). However, there are no surveys in a population of schoolchildren in different age groups, reporting visual function, refractive errors and other orthoptic findings, and putting such findings in relation to asthenopia.…”

Convergence Insufficiency Associated with Migraine: A Case Series

“…15 Convergence insuffi ciency is very common, affecting most people over the age of 40 years, 16 although it should be mentioned that two of the four patients presented were under age 40. Most convergence insuffi ciency associated with migraine responded readily to orthoptic exercises, possibly due to its relatively short duration.…”