August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
August is National Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month to raise awareness and reduce the risk of eye disease in children. One of 20 children ages three to five has a vision problem that could result in permanent damage if left untreated. Despite this unsettling statistic, 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, by practicing early detection and proper treatment. Vision changes without children noticing, so it is extremely important for them to receive eye exams at a young age.
Children should have an eye exam at six months and this must be repeated at age three. Once they start school, eye exams must be done regularly. About 80% of what children learn in school is taught visually, which means if a child has an undetected and uncorrected vision problem, it will affect the child’s development and performance in school. Some warning signs that your child may be experiencing vision problems are:
- Tilting the head or squinting to see the class board better or when watching TV
- Frequent eye rubbing when they’re trying to concentrate on something.
- Holding a book too close to their eyes or often sitting close to the TV.
- Consistently uses their fingers to guide their eyes when reading.
- Closing one eye to read or watch TV.
- Excessive tearing without any tear-causing stimuli.
- Eye discomfort when using a computer or any digital device i.e digital eye strain.
- Sensitivity to light, which is sometimes accompanied by headache or nausea.
- Wandering eyes.
Aside from keeping a watchful eye for some of the warning signs listed above, protect your child from eye injuries by ensuring your children’s toys are age-appropriate and not a danger to their eyes. Check if your child’s toys or stuff are free of sharp or protruding parts that could accidentally poke the eyes. Fireworks are also detrimental to your child’s safety, as they can cause blindness if not handled correctly.
It’s your responsibility as a parent to know how you can keep your child’s vision healthy and obtain an early diagnosis in case your child is suffering from vision problems through a regular eye exam. Also, be aware that eye injuries can happen anytime, anywhere. Eye injuries are often caused by sports or physical activities, so know proper precautions such as wearing protective eyewear when playing sports, too.
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