August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month!

August 7, 2020

August is dedicated to preventing eye injuries and vision loss and saving children’s eyesight.

This month, we’d like to provide parents with some information on how to protect your child’s eyesight and save your child’s eyesight from vision threatening conditions through regular eye exams.

One in 20 children—ages 3 to 5—has a vision problem that could become a permanent problem if left untreated, according to Consumer Health Digest. And, despite this unsettling statistic, 80% of preschoolers do not receive an eye screening. As you begin to schedule end-of-summer health appointments, make sure to include an annual eye screening. A good place to start is with your primary care physician; they can do an initial eye exam during an annual physical and then refer you to an eye doctor if necessary.

When to start an exam for a child

Children should have an eye exam at 6 months and again at age 3 or according to the need. Once they start school, eye exams should be done annually. About 80% of what children learn in school is taught visually, which means if a child has undetected and uncorrected vision problems, it will affect the child’s development and performances in school.

Warning signs that could indicate vision problems

Some warning signs that your child may be experiencing vision problems are:

Closing one eye to read or watch TV
Consistently using his/her fingers to guide eyes when reading
Excessive tearing without any tear-causing stimuli
Eye discomfort when using a computer or any digital device (i.e., digital eye strain)
Frequent eye rubbing when a child is trying to concentrate on something
Holding a book too close to their eyes or often sitting close to the TV
Sensitivity to light, which sometimes accompanied by headache or nausea
Tilting the head or squinting to see the class board better or when watching TV
Wandering eyes

Eye Safety

Unfortunately, preventable eye injuries are the leading cause of vision loss in kids. Nearly 30,000 sports-related eye injuries are treated in U.S. emergency rooms each year, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). The good news is that 90% of serious eye injuries could be prevented by wearing appropriate protective eyewear.

The AAO reports that basketball was the leading cause of sports-related eye injuries in the United States followed by baseball, softball, airsoft rifles, pellet guns, racquetball, and hockey. All of these activities and sports have different levels of risk for eye injury. Parents, make sure that your children are using the right kind of eye protection for each activity. Regular eyeglasses do not offer proper eye protection and in some cases can make an injury worse if they shatter.

Need a Primary Care Physician?

Reedsburg Area Medical Center has a number of family medicine specialists. Please contact us today to get connected!