Kids Who Wear Eyeglasses: The Importance of Children’s Eye Health and Care

I was just six years old when I started using eyeglasses. I remember learning about the benefits of carrots and how eating them regularly may improve my eye vision. I was practically part rabbit. However; no matter how many carrots I ate my vision was either stable or worse at each check-up throughout my childhood. That’s because it takes a lot more to stabilize or improve your eye vision, of course. I only needed my glasses for school, to read the whiteboard mainly. Like many children, I forced my vision for the majority of the school day …through second to eighth grade to be exact. Fast-forward to a thirty-year-old me…I’ve learned my lesson on the importance of taking care of my eyes. I am much more responsible about wearing my glasses when I need to. Thankfully, my eyes are healthy and my vision has remained stable as an adult.

 

As soon as I noticed that my daughter, who at the time was five years old, was squinting to see from afar I knew it may be due to poor eye vision. Luckily, her annual wellness appointment with her pediatrician was coming up. There the nurse practitioner performed the standard eye vision screening, as they do at every visit starting at 6 months of age. (This brief examination by a pediatrician should not substitute an eye exam performed by an optometrist as only they have the advanced training and tools to perform a thorough examination of the eyes and vision.) My daughter passed the eye vision screening at the pediatrician. However; since I mentioned that she had recently started squinting the pediatrician suggested taking her to an optometrist for a comprehensive eye exam which is suggested around age five anyway- just before they start Kindergarten. At the optometrist, I learned that my daughter was nearsighted meaning she sees near objects clearly, while objects in the distance are blurred. The doctor explained that while there isn’t a cure for nearsightedness there is a variety of factors that may naturally improve or correct one’s eye vision. Things such as good nutrition and diet, eye exercises, relaxation techniques, occasional eye massages, and of course actually wearing the eyeglasses when necessary.

 

Taking your child to the optometrist should be as much of a priority as taking them to a pediatrician and dentist each year. Now more than ever due to technology being introduced to children so early on (TV, smartphones, tablets, etc.) whether at home or in school, it requires eye focus which can often strain their vision and cause symptoms such as headaches. It’s important for us as parents to ensure our children are being examined for healthy eyes, at least every one to two years. Children who use glasses should be examined annually or as recommended by their optometrist. Having your child’s eyes examined early on is important as it will help determine if they have the visual skills required to do well in school. For example, a child who struggles to view the writing or images on a whiteboard may feel frustrated and discouraged even which in many cases leads to poor academic performance. Poor eye vision can result in a series of health consequences if not examined or cared for properly.  If you ever doubt whether your child is struggling from poor vision don’t hesitate to contact your family optometrist.