Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

Vision problems negatively impact school performance, so schedule comprehensive eye exams for your children to be sure they have healthy vision before school begins.

Here are the top 5 reasons a comprehensive eye exam should be a part of your family’s back-to-school routine each year:

Comprehensive Eye Exams Correct Problems Early

The right and left eye must function as a team for normal vision to develop. Regular visits to your children’s pediatrician from infancy through preschool will help ensure that eye alignment problems are detected early. However, if you suspect your child has an issue with eye alignment, make an appointment with an ophthalmologist.

Comprehensive Eye Exams Offer More than School Vision Screenings

School vision screenings can only identify vision problems, not correct them. Often admistered by volunteers, screenings offer limited testing with minimal equipment. On the other hand, through comprehensive eye exams, licensed eye care professionals perform several tests and can make specific diagnoses. During an eye exam, a child can receive immediate treatment and corrective options for vision problems.

Comprehensive Eye Exams Correct More than Eye Problems

A common complaint among school-aged children is headaches due to refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. When children cannot see clearly, they often strain their vision by squinting, which often results in headaches. Many children experience relief after refractive errors are diagnosed and treated with eyeglasses.

Comprehensive Eye Exams Increase Self-Confidence

Children with vision problems often cannot read words and images in books or on display boards, which may affect their academic performance. Eye problems may also impact their ability to participate in activities like physical education classes and youth sports, resulting in low self-esteem. Through yearly eye exams, providers can diagnose and correct vision problems early on so children can perform at their highest level.

Comprehensive Eye Exams Provide Overall Health Assessments

During comprehensive eye exams, ophthalmologists use tests including eye dilation to evaluate the health of the retina and blood vessels. Some of these tests may even identify undiagnosed chronic health conditions like diabetes or hypertension, and children can then be referred to a specialist for further evaluation.

A comprehensive eye exam is an essential component of back-to-school readiness. Make an appointment with an ophthalmologist for a full comprehensive eye exam with dilation for your children. You can then feel confident that they are equipped with clear vision and are ready for a successful school year.