30 Aug CHILDREN’S EYE HEALTH & SAFETY MONTH
With a new school year right around the corner, Dr. D’Orio and Associates Eye Care wants to make sure that you include an eye exam on your child’s back to school checklist! A large percentage of vision issues can be prevented if detected at an early age. Having your child’s eyes checked before returning to the classroom environment will help aid in your child’s learning as 80% of classroom learning is done visually.
As children may not be able to pin point when something is wrong with their vision, it is important to keep an eye out for typical signs of vision impairment.
COMMON SIGNS OF VISION TROUBLES IN CHILDREN INCLUDE
- Tilting or turning of the head
- Squinting
- Wandering eyes
- Rubbing eyes frequently
If you are noticing that your child is displaying any of these symptoms, please schedule an appointment for a full eye exam right away.
COMMON CONDITIONS AFFECTING CHILDREN
- Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)
- Colour Deficiency (Colour Blindness)
- Strabismus (Crossed Eyes)
- Refractive Errors (nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism)
Many of these conditions- if diagnosed early on, can be treated with vision being fully restored in some cases. When the conditions are diagnosed later on in life the treatments can be less effect. Annual children eye exam will help to stay on top of any potential troubles with vision.
EYE SAFETY
Teaching children about safe eye practices is just as important as eye health. Eye injuries are common in younger children, as they are not aware on how to properly protect themselves. Out of the five senses, vision has the greatest impact on development, and it is important to protect it. Here are a few tips on teaching your child to adopt healthy eye habits for life.
- 1. Schedule Regular Eye Exams. Planning annual eye exams for your children teaches them a patterned healthy habit to follow later on in life.
- 2. Encourage Your Child To Eat Well. Colourful vegetables and fruit help protect against certain eye conditions. Teach young children the importance of packing their diet full of eye healthy foods.
- 3. Encourage Regular Breaks While Watching TV, Playing Video Games Or Using Any Digital Device. Allowing their eyes to rest from digital eye stain reduces fatigue and eye irritations. Introduce them to the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes look 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
- Avoid Purchasing Toys With Sharp Points or Edges. We’ve all heard the phrase; ‘It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt’. Prevent injury during play by eliminating any potential harm, and making sure all toys are appropriate for the child’s age level.
- 5. Wear The Proper Eye Equipment During Sports Play. Prevent the potential of eye injury in sports like basketball and badminton by wearing goggles, or ensuring your child has the most up to date safety equipment.
- 6. Don’t Share Eye Make-Up. Sometimes sharing isn’t always caring. Prevent the transferring of contagious eye disease by teaching girls at a young age to not share their eye make up.
For more information on eye care and conditions, tips on eye safety, plus information on eye health issues that affect us all, visit Dr. D’Orio And Associates Blog. To book your annual eye exam call either Dr. D’Orio location or click here to book online!
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