As time passes, your body changes in many ways --including your vision system. Structural changes in your vision may result in vision disorders, however, if diagnosed and treated early, they don't have to mean changing your lifestyle.
Annual vision and eye exams will help you and your doctor detect and treat your specific vision needs to protect your most precious sense-- the sense of sight.
Children
We send our children back to school equipped with pencils and paper, lunch boxes and backpacks and an admonishment to study hard! Yet, we often neglect one of the most important tools of success--Good Vision.
Nearly 80% of a child's learning comes in through the vision system. Undiscovered vision problems can result in learning difficulties and an inability to attend to and respond to teacher instruction.
Most of us are aware that farsightedness, nearsightedness and astigmatism are related to classroom performance. Many people don't know that poor focusing skills lead to visual information processing problems which can overwhelm a child from the very first day of school. Chances are you're relying on the school nurse or your pediatrician to use the "Big E" eye chart to find any vision problems. But did you know that those screenings detect only 20% of vision problems in young children?
Children can pass that test and still have undiagnosed vision problems that can cause learning difficulties. Your child's eyes change rapidly during the early years. That is why the American Optometric Association recommends that children have their eyes checked after birth, at six months and at age three. Yearly examinations are recommended for all school-aged children. Signs of vision problems that you or your child's teacher may notice are:
- Frequent squinting
- Holding a book close to their eyes
- A short attention span or daydreaming
- A drop in scholastic or athletic performance
- Frequent eye rubbing or blinking
- Poor eye/hand coordination
- Avoiding close work
- Complaints of headaches, double vision or blurring
By ensuring your children are free of vision problems, you'll give them the best chance to perform to their fullest potential!