Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month is observed in August and sponsored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. This awareness month encourages parents to take children for an eye examination as part of their back to school check list. National Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month is a great time to invest in learning about your child’s eye health. Understandably, some kids are squeamish about going to the eye doctor for their yearly testing. Teaching them why it’s important and what to expect during optometrist appointments can help them feel more at ease.

It’s also important to teach your children how to best protect their eyes when handling common household items, cleaning supplies, science experiments, and more. Skills you introduce to them today may very well protect their eyes tomorrow. Strong communication and strong role modeling early in life encourages kids to stay on top of their healthcare once they grow into adults. Wear a green enamel awareness ribbon pin, green fabric ribbon, or green silicone wristband to raise awareness for Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month.

Wear a Green Ribbon for Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month!

In addition to immunizations and school orientations, Child Eye Health and Safety Month highly recommends a child receive an eye examination before going back to school. The inability to see clearly affects not only academic performance but also athletics and self-esteem. Start the new school year out right by making sure that your student is seeing clearly!

The Importance of Annual Eye Exams for Children

Children’s bodies are still growing and changing every year, including their vision. While they may seem to have excellent 20/20 eyesight, this can change gradually over time. Undetected and untreated vision problems can lead to conditions such as lazy eye or even crossed eyes. Both of these conditions are often far more difficult to address than the initial issues causing them.

Some of the most common pediatric eye conditions include:

• Astigmatism
• Myopia (nearsightedness)
• Hyperopia (farsightedness)
• Ptosis (droopy eyelids)
• Conjunctivitis (pinkeye)
• Styes
• Chalazions
• Pediatric glaucoma
• Pediatric cataracts
• Double vision
• Nystagmus
• Epiphora (excessive tearing)
• Blocked tear ducts

Children are also susceptible to genetic eye conditions, which may not always be apparent at birth. Scheduling annual eye exams for your kids is the most effective way to catch common, and not-so-common, vision issues before they grow worse.

What’s Involved in a Children’s Eye Exam?

Children can be scared to see a new doctor. We highly recommend you take some time to explain to your child what their first eye exam may entail, if they’re old enough to understand. The prospect of having such a sensitive part of the body tested can be intimidating even for many adults. Investing in a conversation ahead of the appointment can go a long way to easing your kid’s mind.

Eye exams check for the following problems:

• The way eyes react to shifts in lighting and darkness.
• Eye movement and reactions to stimuli, like a moving finger.
• Eye structure.
• Clouding.
• Redness.
• Teariness.

These tests make it possible to diagnose the following conditions, listed here with short explanations to help you explain to your children what they might expect.

• Myopia/nearsightedness: The ability to clearly see things up close, but anything far away is blurry.
• Hyperopia/farsightedness: The reverse of nearsightedness. The ability to clearly see things far away, but anything up close is blurry.
• Amblyopia: What happens when one eye sees better than the other due.
• Astigmatism: Problems with the eye’s shape that can lead to blurred vision.
• Styes and chalazions: Bumps around the eye that can cause pain or compromise vision.

Prevent Eye Injuries in Children – KNOW MORE During Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

Pediatric eye health doesn’t begin and end with annual appointments. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmologists, about 90% of eye injuries can be prevented through the use of proper protective eyewear and similar measures. We highly recommend that parents model safe behavior and take extra safety precautions around the house to ensure the protection of their children’s eyes. Parents are, in many ways, the first line of defense against eye injuries.

Habits to Keep Eyes Safe:

• Hold sharp objects, such as scissors, screwdrivers, digging implements, etc., away from the face both when in and not in use.
• Properly use common home items such as paper clips, rubber bands, safety pins, and other objects in ways that won’t put the eyes at risk.
• Lock kitchen knives away in their drawers.
• Store cleaning chemicals and similar hazards in locked, hard-to-reach cupboards.
• Store glassware, ceramics, and other breakables away from small, curious hands.
• Store guns, including those for paintballs, pellets, and BBs, in their lockers unloaded and separate from their respective ammo.
• Wear protective eyewear when doing yard work, performing repairs around the home, using power tools, woodworking, swimming, or playing sports.
• Wear sunglasses outdoors to prevent UV damage.
• Wear seatbelts in the car, and properly securing any small children who may not yet have the skills to properly secure themselves.
• Wear protective eyewear during science experiments, both in and out of the classroom.
• Only pet domestic animals with permission from the owners, who know whether or not their pets may bite or scratch a child.
• Purchase age-appropriate toys without sharp edges or accessories.
• Pad sharp corners on furniture.
• Set up gates at the top and bottom of any staircases.
• Take regular breaks when using computer, TV, and smartphone screens for long stretches of time in order to prevent straining.
• Refrain from using explosives, such as firecrackers or cherry bombs without professional supervision.
• Check public parks and playgrounds for any potential eye hazards before allowing play.

Consult with your child’s pediatrician, optometrist, or ophthalmologist for more information about kid-friendly eye safety and health solutions.