The post Do Kids Need to Have Eye Exams? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.
]]>Clear, healthy vision helps kids do better in school and allows them to enjoy sports and activities. Keep reading to learn more about whether kids need to have eye exams.
Eye care is an important part of health care for people of all ages, including children. Children should have periodic vision screenings, which they may get as part of a well-child visit or at school.
These screenings are great for identifying when kids might need glasses to correct a refractive error. However, they typically don’t screen for other eye health conditions.
Visiting an ophthalmologist for a comprehensive eye exam can identify eye issues that a vision screening doesn’t spot. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has guidelines about how often your child should undergo vision screenings or comprehensive eye exams based on their age:
All babies should have an eye screening as newborns and another screening before their first birthday. These tests include non-invasive screenings that only take a few minutes and don’t require feedback from the child.
The first test is checking the “red reflex.” Their provider shines a bright light into each eye to see if it shows a red reflex, like “the red eye” in a flash photo.
Then, they will check blinking and pupil response and check for proper eye alignment and movement.
Children younger than school age (around 3-5 years old) should see an ophthalmologist at least once to screen for vision issues common in early childhood, such as farsightedness or an eye turn. An eye exam is especially important if the child has an underlying condition that increases the risk of eye problems or a family history of vision issues such as strabismus.
These exams are non-invasive and painless. Children may have to respond to simple verbal cues like “Look at my hand, but don’t turn your head.”
The testing can identify conditions such as:
For children 5 years and older, it’s recommended that they undergo a vision screening annually. Many children receive yearly vision screenings at school or during their annual well-child exam.
These exams can reveal refractive errors that indicate a need for glasses. Nearsightedness, or myopia, is a common vision problem with children of this age.
If your child fails a vision screening or complains of headaches or eye strain, you should schedule a comprehensive eye exam with their ophthalmologist at EyeHealth Northwest. Other signs of vision challenges are difficulty learning to read, clumsiness, or sitting very close to the TV screen.
Even if they are not experiencing vision problems currently, children with certain conditions such as Down syndrome or learning disabilities should undergo a comprehensive eye exam at this age. At a comprehensive eye exam, their eye doctor will use special testing like pupil dilation to examine for signs of eye conditions.
Children who wear glasses should also see their eye doctor every year to make sure their prescription is up to date. Children often have changes to their vision over time and need adjustments to their glasses to keep their vision clear.
Is your child due for an eye exam or vision screening? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR, today!
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]]>You may wonder how often you should schedule these appointments. The answer depends on the individual, their age, genetic factors, and whether or not blurry vision due to refractive errors is present.
Keep reading to learn more about how often you should schedule an appointment to see your eye doctor!
Early vision screening is performed during standard checkups if no vision problems are present at birth.
If and when it’s indicated, children should have a comprehensive eye exam if there are concerns related to their vision.
In the hospital, every infant is checked for basic indicators of eye health.
Well-child visits with a pediatrician are scheduled between the ages of six and twelve months, and at that time, the eyes will be examined.
Between twelve and thirty-six months, the pediatrician will again look for signs that your child has healthy eye development. In the event of a problem, your child will be referred to a pediatric ophthalmologist.
Vision and eye alignment should be checked in every child between three and five years of age. This can be done by a pediatrician, ophthalmologist, or optometrist.
Visual acuity and alignment screening should be scheduled at age five. At that point, a child can identify numbers and letters and read an eye chart, making the diagnosis of problems easier.
Children age five and older should have an eye exam every couple of years unless they have a refractive error. If they have a refractive error, like nearsightedness, they should visit their eye doctor more frequently to ensure their prescription is up to date.
If you don’t have a refractive error such as astigmatism, myopia, hyperopia, or presbyopia, and there are no other health issues, you can follow these guidelines.
In Your 20s and 30s
Adults starting at age twenty should have a baseline eye exam at some point in their twenties. One appointment is typically enough if no vision problems are diagnosed.
Schedule another one when you reach your thirties. During that decade, two eye exams are recommended.
However, if any vision or eye problems occur, such as an infection, injury, eye pain, or if you see sudden floaters or flashes of light, schedule an appointment with an ophthalmologist immediately. These could be signs of serious eye conditions.
A family history of eye disease or diabetes will require a schedule of routine checkups to stay on top of healthy vision. If this is part of your health history, let your doctor know.
Get a complete eye examination by the time you turn forty. At this time, changes in vision or early signs of disease often appear.
An early diagnosis means treatment can begin right after the onset of symptoms. Save your sight by responding immediately to any concerns. Don’t let vision problems develop or worsen.
Diabetes, a family history of eye disease, and high blood pressure require regular monitoring, including regular comprehensive eye exams. Otherwise healthy adults in their forties up to age fifty-four can schedule eye exams every two to four years.
At fifty-five, schedule one every one to three years, depending on your eye doctor’s recommendation.
Have your eyes checked annually. Age increases the risk for cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma.
Is it time for you or your child to have a comprehensive eye exam? Schedule an appointment at Eyehealth Northwest in Happy Valley, OR, today!
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]]>The post What Parents Can Do During Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.
]]>Give your child a leg up by ensuring that vision problems don’t make the school year ahead harder. By guiding them toward good choices today, you’ll help them create vision habits for the rest of their lives.
Model these behaviors yourself, and they’ll follow your lead. Keep reading to learn what you can do to help your child during Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month!
According to the National Association for Sports and Physical Education, more than 600,000 eye injuries related to sports occur each year. Also, approximately one-third of these injuries happen to children.
Always insist that your child wear protective eyewear. Choose the proper eyewear for the right sport.
Look for these labels when shopping for specially-designed eyewear to minimize injury in each sport. For example, choose ASTM F803 for basketball and ASTM F910 for baseball and softball (or ASTM F803).
For ice hockey, choose a helmet with a polycarbonate face mask or wire shield. Look for masks approved by the Hockey Equipment Certification Council or the Canadian Standards Association (CSA).
No matter the weather and in every season, wearing sunglasses is the best eye safety habit you can instill in your child.
Sunglasses protect the eyes from harmful UV rays from the sun, and they’re present on both sunny and cloudy days.
They can even prevent short-term conditions such as photokeratitis and long-term effects such as corneal damage, cataracts, and macular degeneration. Make sure to choose 100% UV protection by looking for a label or tag that indicates a UV400 rating or “100% UV protection.”
Staying hydrated is essential for whole-body health in both adults and children. Ensure your child replenishes the moisture lost on an average day, particularly in summer when their bodies perspire to stay cool.
Not drinking enough can lead to eye strain, blurry vision, and dry eyes.
No matter your age, the more you look at a computer screen, the less you blink. Blinking less impacts eye health.
Blinking lubricates the eyeball and keeps it moist. Less blinking leads to dry and irritated eyes.
And staring at a screen for an extended period can affect the muscles around the eye. Children are especially prone to eye fatigue.
Urge your child to take breaks with the 20/20/20 rule: look away from the screen every 20 minutes and focus on an object at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. For every hour spent on a computer or device, have your child walk away for 10 minutes.
For starters, establish two habits: keep your child at an appropriate distance from any screen, and have them look slightly down when viewing, not up. It’s also essential to position device screens using the 1/2/10 rule: mobile phones at one foot, desktop devices and laptops at two feet, and roughly 10 feet for a TV screen.
Keep your distance and keep your vision clear and strong.
Do you want to learn more ways that you can help protect your child’s vision? Schedule an appointment at Eye Health Northwest in Hillsboro, OR, today!
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]]>December is safe toys and celebrations month. Giving safe toys is vital during the holiday season. Keep reading to learn about six ways to keep your children safe when giving them toys.
Unfortunately, there are thousands of eye injuries due to toys every year. Children fourteen and under are most affected by eye injuries from toys.
Parents need to pay attention to the types of gifts they buy, and their children receive and watch their kids when they’re playing with toys. About ten percent of eye injuries in kids that end up in the ER are from toys.
If you are purchasing a gift for a child, there are tips that you should follow.
If you purchase toys, make sure they are age-appropriate for your child. That means that if a toy is for kids five and up, you should not give it to a three-year-old.
Even if you think your child can use a toy, you should avoid it until it is age-appropriate. Doing otherwise could be dangerous.
When your child receives a toy, show them how to use it correctly and safely. This way, they understand how to use it and can be safe while playing.
Watch your child use their toys. While most people think this is a tip for younger children, it applies to all kids.
Parents must supervise their kids while playing to make sure they are safe. Also, if you have any doubts about a toy, do not let your kids play with it.
Skip buying toys with projectiles for kids. This means that you should not give kids toys like BB Guns and crossbows.
Objects flying through the air can endanger your child’s eyes. You can avoid eye injuries by not having toys around that could hit them in the face.
Avoid buying gifts that are pointy. Skip giving kids swords, pens, and pencils, or any other supplies that are sharp. They can become dangerous in the hands of children.
The holidays are not just for kids. Parents get to celebrate too. Be sure to open champagne away from others when you’re enjoying the season.
Do not point the cork towards your guests. The last thing you want is to have it fly out, hit someone in the eye, and cause severe damage.
If you or your child experience an eye injury, you should book an appointment as soon as possible with an eye doctor. Schedule an appointment at Eye Health Northwest in Portland, OR, to talk with an eye doctor today!
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]]>The post What Can I Expect at My Child’s Eye Exam? appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.
]]>It’s essential to prepare them for doctor’s appointments, especially when it is a new doctor. It can help prevent your children from being extremely anxious for the appointment.
Keep reading to learn more about what you can expect at your child’s eye exam.
For any child seventeen and under, a parent or legal guardian needs to be with them. You’ll have to be there to allow the use of eye drops during the appointment.
Once you check in, you or your child will complete their medical history forms. Having this information for the exam helps your eye doctor know if they need to check for specific eye conditions.
Before anything gets done or tested, you will discuss with the doctor the reason for your visit. You can tell them if you’ve noticed any vision problems or if it is just a regular checkup.
There are many ways to examine your child’s vision. If they can talk, your eye doctor will use tests like looking at pictures, matching letters, or reviewing the entire alphabet.
They will also test one eye by covering the other eye with a patch or something similar. Other things that will get tested are depth perception, color vision, and the eye doctor will look for muscle imbalances.
If there’s a problem, the eye doctor will come to talk to you before they dilate your child’s eyes. The eye doctor dilates your child’s eyes to examine their retina, optic nerve, and eye prescription.
To dilate your child’s eyes, the eye doctor will use two or three drops in each eye. The first drop numbs their eyes, and the second dilates them. Some children need the third drop because they have darker pigmentation.
The drops can last anywhere from four to twenty-four hours, and they take twenty-five to thirty-five minutes to take effect.
Once this exam is complete, the eye doctor will discuss treatment options if needed. You can also ask them questions if you have any.
Vision problems in children are not uncommon, and most are treatable. But, you need to take them to an eye doctor if they are going to receive treatment.
The only way to ensure they get treatment if they need it is for you to pay attention and notice if something seems off. Some signs to watch out for include:
Also, you should take note if they fail an eye exam at school or the pediatrician.
For most kids, you should bring them in for their first comprehensive eye exam at about six months old. If your primary care doctor advises otherwise, follow their instructions.
The following exam should be at age 3. If everything looks good, their next exam should be around when they start first grade, at age five or six.
Is it time to bring your child in for a comprehensive eye exam? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR now, to make sure their eyes are healthy!
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]]>The post Protect Your Children’s Eyes During Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.
]]>With the beginning of the school year right around the corner, it’s crucial to think about how you can keep their eyes safe. An important activity to do before school starts is to take your kids to get a comprehensive eye exam.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology has dedicated August to help you see why this is so important. Keep reading to learn how to protect your children’s eyes during Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month and beyond.
Children should begin having comprehensive eye exams at age three. The eye doctor can help detect vision or refractive problems that could interfere with your child’s development.
Some of these issues are farsightedness, astigmatism, and nearsightedness. Other potential problems are:
If diagnosed, all these eye conditions are treatable.
If your family doctor thinks your child has an eye issue, they will refer you to a specialist. They will help you schedule an appointment with an eye doctor for extra tests.
You should be aware of the different signs that your child has vision problems. Warning signs can include:
If you notice any of these potential symptoms, mention them to your primary care physician. They will help determine what could be going on.
Ensuring that your child’s eyes are safe is another part of making sure your child has good vision. That’s because the leading cause of vision loss in children is eye injuries.
Roughly forty thousand sports-related eye injuries occur annually in the United States. Most of these injuries happen to children.
You can help keep your children’s eyes safe by following some simple steps. When they take part in sports or other contact activities, they should wear protective eyewear.
Some examples of protective eyewear are goggles or protective glasses. Even if the sport or activity has no protective eyewear rule, you should still have your child use protective eyewear.
Additionally, another way to make sure that kids’ eyes remain safe is to play with age-acceptable toys. For younger children, toys that do not have sharp or pointy parts are best.
Help your kids be successful in school this year by taking them for a comprehensive eye exam. Your child’s physical development and well-being depend, in part, on good vision.
Vision problems can impair children’s learning and self-esteem. It’s better to treat a problem with their eyesight than let it negatively impact other areas of their life.
Also, make sure to continue to protect their eyes to prevent any injuries. The more you can help your children be happy and healthy, the more successful they can be. Proper eye care is one way you can do just that!
Is it time to bring your child in for an eye exam? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR now to get your kids the treatment they need!
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]]>December is Safe Toys and Celebration Month. The AAO dedicates this month to educating the public about the importance of buying safe toys during the holiday season.
The team at EyeHealth Northwest is working to educate our patients and the community about the importance of safe toy buying. This is especially true during the holiday season.
Unfortunately, toys cause thousands of eye injuries each year. Children that are 14 and under are the age group that experiences the most eye injuries due to toys.
Parents must be diligent when they are purchasing gifts for their children or allowing others to buy gifts for them. They must also always monitor their children while they play with their toys. About 10% of children’s eye injuries that result in an ER visit are from toys.
If you are buying a present for a child, you should follow these tips to make sure you are buying a safe gift. There are a lot of tips that you should follow when purchasing presents for children. Keep reading for our top five tips to follow this holiday season!
Follow these tips this holiday season to make sure that everyone stays safe. If a toy breaks, you can repair it or throw it out.
You should put away toys once your children are done playing with them to prevent any injuries from tripping or falling over them. Also, not buying any toys with sharp edges and evaluating all toys your child receives to make sure they are sturdy and safe are a good rule of thumb.
Kids can get different types of eye injuries from toys. Some of the most common ones are damage to the eye, cataracts, corneal abrasions, ocular hyphema, and increased inner eye pressure.
If your child has an eye injury, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR now to see one of our ophthalmologists. It’s never too soon to make eye health a priority!
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]]>Making sure that your child can see clearly is important for their social and academic development. You want your child to be able to play with other kids and be able to see what is going on.
Children need to be able to see while at school to be able to succeed and learn to the best of their abilities. There are eye conditions that children can develop, including amblyopia.
Keep reading to learn more about amblyopia and how to know if your child may have it!
Amblyopia means having reduced vision in one or both eyes. This occurs when an infant’s or child’s vision starts to develop abnormally.
Amblyopia might not be obvious. It causes vision loss because the nerve pathways from the brain to the eye are not stimulated the way they need to be. This causes the brain to process images as they appear when they are blurry.
This can occur even if you wear glasses and amblyopia is only impacting one eye. When this occurs, the brain learns to prefer one eye. Amblyopia is also called lazy eye, and it is the leading cause of vision loss for children.
There are many symptoms tied to amblyopia. Some of them include:
If you notice your child doing any of these things, have your eye doctor take a look at their eyes. It could mean that your child has amblyopia or another eye condition.
The earlier you diagnose and treat eye conditions, the better for preventing further damage. Not treating amblyopia can cause permanent vision loss. Make sure to take your child in to see your ophthalmologist if you notice anything abnormal or something doesn’t seem right with their vision.
If your newborn had an eye that is wandering after they’ve been born for a few weeks, take them to see your doctor if your family has a medical history of children suffering from having crossed-eyes, developing cataracts, or other eye conditions.
There are a few causes of amblyopia. Two of them are:
There are many reasons that this can occur, but it is important that a baby can use their eyes. When a baby is born, they have bad vision, but as they use their eyes, their vision will improve.
When babies cannot use their eyes, it prevents their vision from developing properly.
This is the most common cause. This can occur in one or both eyes. If it is not corrected, it causes the affected eye or eyes to not develop properly. When this occurs, it is called refractive amblyopia.
There are few factors that play into how at risk your child is for developing amblyopia. They include being born prematurely, being a small size at birth, having a family history of lazy eye, and developmental disabilities.
If you’re concerned about your child developing amblyopia, talk with your eye doctor. They can check your child’s eyes and come up with a treatment plan if they notice anything.
Do you think that your child has amblyopia? Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR now to see one of our great eye doctors!
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]]>Once August arrives, it is time to start thinking about your kids and what they need for going back to school. As you put together the list of things to do before school starts, it is important to remember to have your child’s eyes examined.
This is why August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. It is a whole month dedicated to helping parents understand the importance of children’s eye health, as well as safety. Keep reading to learn more about the importance of this month and how to keep your children’s eyes safe.
At the age of three, your eye doctor will likely recommend that your child has their first comprehensive eye exam. During this exam, the eye doctor will look for any vision and refractive problems.
Some of the most common diagnoses for children include farsightedness, astigmatism, and nearsightedness. Children are also likely to be diagnosed with a lazy eye (amblyopia), color blindness (color deficiency), crossed eyes (strabismus) or drooping of the eye (ptosis). These conditions are easy to treat with eye drops, glasses or contacts, patches, surgery or other visual aids.
When your primary doctor thinks there could be a larger issue, they may refer you to an eye doctor or ophthalmologist to have other tests performed. It’s important to be educated about what to look for in case your child is experiencing vision issues.
Some things you should look for include wandering or crossed eyes, not wanting to read or look at objects in the distance, having a family medical history of vision issues that start as a child, squinting or needing to look at objects from odd positions. This may manifest itself as tilting the head while trying to look at a sign.
There are many easy ways to keep your children’s eyes safe. The first includes proper eye protection when they are in the sun.
You should also make sure they wear protection when they take part in any sports. Whenever your child goes outside, they need to wear sunglasses or a hat to protect their eyes from the sun.
Protecting your child’s eyes from the sun is important for maintaining good eye health. Another easy way to keep your child’s eyes safe is not allowing them outside during peak hours. This is when the sun is at its strongest, from 10 am-2 pm.
Children should always wear protective eyewear when they are participating in sports. Some types of protective eyewear that you can get are goggles and protective glasses.
Another easy way to keep their eyes safe is to watch what toys they play with. You should make sure they are only using age-appropriate toys and that these do not have any sharp points.
The best thing you can do for your child’s eyes is to bring them in for a comprehensive eye exam. Making sure they have healthy eyes will help them succeed.
This is true for both school and any sports they may play. Having healthy eyes will help your child’s physical development, mental health, and well-being.
Do you think it’s time to bring your child in for a comprehensive eye exam? There’s no time like the present! Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Portland, OR now to see one of our great eye doctors!
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]]>The post August Is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month appeared first on Eye Health Northwest.
]]>It can be easy to get caught up in the back to school craziness but make sure eye exams happen! To help increase awareness, August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month! Keep reading to learn why this is so important!
Around age three, kids should get comprehensive eye exams. Your child’s doctor can help identify any vision or refractive issues.
These issues can include astigmatism, farsightedness and nearsightedness. Other conditions they diagnose include crossed eyes, lazy eye, color blindness, and drooping of the eye.
These conditions are treatable with eye drops, patches, glasses, contacts, surgery or tools.
If your doctor thinks it could be something more serious, you can see an ophthalmologist. There are signs that you should be aware of if your child has a vision issue.
Some of the signs include:
Another part of making sure your children have good vision is keeping their eyes safe. In children, the leading cause of vision loss is eye injuries.
In the United States, there are about 42,000 sports-related eye injuries that occur each year. Children experience most of these injuries. Around 12 million children have vision deficiencies.
Help keep your children’s eyes safe by following a few tips. When participating in sports or other activities, children should wear protective eyewear.
Protective eye wear can include goggles or a pair of protective glasses. Even if the activity doesn’t call for protective eye wear, you can still make your child wear it.
It is important to make sure that your kids play with toys that are appropriate for their age group. Avoid buying toys with sharp or pointy parts, as these can easily cause eye injuries.
We all want our children to be safe and healthy. Help them have a successful school year by taking them to get a comprehensive eye exam.
Also, protect their eyes to keep them from getting injured. As a parent, it’s up to you to make sure your child has good vision.
It’s an important part of their physical development and well being. Having good vision is just one way that you can set your children up for success.
Not sure how to start your children on the road to visual success? Bring them in to EyeHealth Northwest! We’ll set them up with their first appointment and a comprehensive eye exam. If they need glasses or contacts, we have an optical shop as well!
Schedule an appointment at EyeHealth Northwest in Hillsboro, OR! Now is the perfect time to get the new school year started on the right foot!
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