Did you know that 80 percent of learning occurs through our eyes? Healthy vision is critical to classroom and homework success. Poor vision can lead to poor reading skills, lower grades, difficulty in interpreting music notes, reduced self-esteem, and negative behavior issues.
August is Children's Eye Health and Safety Month. Before shopping for school supplies, uniforms, new sneakers or knapsacks, schedule a comprehensive eye exam with an optometrist for your child between the ages of 3 to 18.
Myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism (blurred images) are common refractive errors easily corrected with eyeglasses or contact lenses. Amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (abnormal alignment of the eyes), and color blindness are also common and correctable conditions that affect children's vision.
A diagnosis of ADHD or ADD in some cases could be an overall weakness in spatial and visual-motor skills.
Indicators of potential vision problems may include:
* Wandering eyes
* Frequent eye rubbing
* Head tilting to look at objects
* Squinting or excessive blinking
* Red, crusty or swollen eyes
* Pulling objects closer;
avoiding close work
* Headaches, nausea
* Inability to dribble or catch a ball
Most kids are required to participate in physical education or a sports activity but poor vision can increase eye injuries. School-aged kids are particularly prone to them, since their athletic skills are still being developed. Baseball-related eye injuries are prevalent in kids 14 and younger. Basketball-related eye injuries lead the list for 15 to 24-year-olds.
At least 90 percent of sports-related eye injuries are preventable with the proper use of protective eyewear. Regular eyeglasses do not offer safety.
The eyes of maturing children change frequently. The vision screening provided by the school nurse is only designed to alert parents to a potential problem.
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