National children's eye health and safety month

AUGUST MONTH OF CHILDREN’S EYE HEALTH AND SAFETY

By NETHRA VIJAYAKUMAR

August is dedicated to preventing eye injuries and vision loss and saving children’s eyesight. One of 20 children ages 3 to 5 has a vision problem that could result in permanent vision if left untreated. Despite this unsettling statistics, 80 percent of preschoolers do not receive an eye screening. Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month encourages parents to learn how to protect their child’s eyesight and save their child’s eyesight from vision threatening conditions through regular eye exams, hence early detection and proper treatment. 

Routine Eye exams:

As a patent it’s important to remember to include an annual eye screening. Your children’s eyes should be regularly examined during pediatric well-child visits beginning around the age of three. These screenings may help detect refractive errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism as well as the following diseases:

Amblyopia (lazy eye):

Amblyopia, also known as lazy eye, is decreased vision that results from abnormal visual development in infancy and early childhood and is the leading cause of decreased vision among children. This condition develops when nerve pathways between the brain and the eye aren’t properly stimulated. As a result, the brain favors one eye, usually due to poor vision in the other eye causing the brain to ignore signals from the other eye. Possible treatments include eye patches, eyedrops, and glasses/contacts, or in some cases surgical intervention.

Strabismus (crossed eyes):

 Strabismus, or crossed eyes, is a condition in which the eyes do not line up properly. Indications that your child may have this disorder could be their eyes looking in different directions, with each eye focusing on a different object. Strabismus is very common, affecting 4% of children age 6 and younger. This eye condition tends to run in families and may be corrected with eyeglasses and/or surgery.

Ptosis (drooping of the eyelid):

Ptosis, or eyelid drooping, in infants and children is when the upper eyelid is lower than it should be. This may occur in one or both eyes. Ptosis in children is often due to a problem with the muscle that raises the eyelid. A nerve problem in the eyelid can also cause it to droop. Eyelid lift surgery can repair drooping upper eyelids.

Color deficiency (color blindness):

 Most of us share a common color vision sensory experience. Some people, however, have a color vision deficiency, which means their perception of colors is different from what most of us see. The most severe forms of these deficiencies are referred to as color blindness. People with color blindness aren’t aware of differences among colors that are obvious to the rest of us. People who don’t have the more severe types of color blindness may not even be aware of their condition unless they’re tested in a clinic or laboratory. The main symptom of color blindness in children is difficulty in distinguishing colors or in making mistakes when identifying colors.

It is important to note there are additional warning signs that may indicate a possible vision problem with your child. Parents should be on alert for the following:

• Sitting close to the TV or holding a book too close

• Squinting

• Tilting their head

• Frequent rubbing of the eyes

• Short attention span (dependent on the child’s age)

• Turning of an eye in or out

• Sensitivity to light

• Difficulty with eye-hand-body coordination when playing ball or bike riding

• Avoiding coloring activities, puzzles and other detailed activities

• Disinterest in reading or viewing distant objects.

Eye Care Tips:

Give rest for your eyes:

Now-a-days students face special challenges to the eyes when they are under academic performance pressure. Lack of sleep, prolonged computer or mobile use and long hours studying make for tired eyes that are dry, scratchy and achy. 

Prolonged computer use contributes to eye fatigue because you blink less frequently. Less blinking significantly reduces lubrication in the eye making it feel tired, scratchy and “dry” as a result. Also eyes are not designed for prolonged focus on a single object, such as the computer. To reduce eyestrain, try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds. 

Eat a healthy, balanced diet:

Your diet should include plenty or fruits and vegetables, especially deep yellow and green leafy vegetables. Eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut can also help your eyes.

Get regular exercise:

Exercise may help to prevent stress due to homework pressure and anxiety etc., which may lead to obesity by which some eye or vision problems may occur. So if you exercise regularly, you can lower your risk of getting these eye and vision problems.

And just as it is important to keep your body healthy, you also need to keep your eyes healthy.