HEALTH CORNER
Take Charge
of Your Child’s
Vision Health
Although many children receive a vision
screening at school or by their pediatricians,
those evaluations aren’t enough to identify
vision issues and manage overall vision
health. Parents who take a proactive role in
their child’s vision health can help identify
and correct problems before they impact
everyday life.
One common issue affecting children is
myopia. Better known as nearsightedness,
myopia is a condition in which close-up
objects appear clear but, at a distance,
everything becomes blurry and out of
focus. If untreated, over time it can put the
eyes at risk for serious vision-threatening
conditions, including retinal detachment,
early cataract development, macular
degeneration and glaucoma.
There can be significant short-term
impacts, too. Nearly 50 percent of children
with myopia experience difficulty in the
classroom, and 41 percent of parents with
myopic children claim their children struggle
with everyday activities, according to a
study conducted by MetrixLab on behalf of
Essilor of America. However, recognizing
those struggles as myopia isn’t always easy.
Only 41 percent of parents in the study
recognized their children were suffering
from myopia.
If your child is suffering from myopia, look
for symptoms such as squinting to see distant
objects, like the board in the classroom;
sitting too close to the TV or holding
books and tablets close when reading; and
experiencing eyestrain or headaches.
Dr. Millicent Knight, a mother, optometrist
and senior vice-president of customer
development for Essilor of America.
Schedule a comprehensive eye exam: Regular
comprehensive eye exams are particularly
important during childhood when eyes
are developing rapidly. The American
Optometric Association recommends a first
eye examination at 6-12 months of age, at
least once between ages 3-5, then at least
annually between ages 6-18.
Monitor screen time: While technology can
be a great tool for learning, all that screen
time can lead to digital eyestrain, resulting
in tired eyes, headaches, itchy eyes, blurred
vision and increased sensitivity to light. To
help reduce eyestrain, have children take
periodic breaks while using devices and
remember to strike a balance between
screen time and outdoor time, as studies
have shown that kids who play outside may
be at a reduced risk of developing vision
issues.
Protect eyes from the sun: Parents tend
to remember sunscreen when children
are outdoors, but they sometimes forget
eyes are just as important. Children are at
heightened risk for retinal damage when
outdoors because their pupils, compared
to adults, are larger outdoors and the lens
inside the eye is clearer, which enables more
harmful blue light from the sun to enter
into the eye. Encourage kids to stay inside
during the sun’s peak hours, and when they
do go outside, have them wear sunglasses
with both blue light protection and UV
protection that blocks UVA and UVB rays.
In addition to monitoring symptoms, you
can also take proactive steps to protect your
child’s vision health with these tips from
80 SL-YOU | Business, People & Lifestyle
www.slyoumag.com | July-August 2019