{"id":14208,"date":"2023-06-21T10:59:56","date_gmt":"2023-06-21T15:59:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swopehealth.org\/?p=14208"},"modified":"2024-02-10T11:02:43","modified_gmt":"2024-02-10T17:02:43","slug":"time-to-think-about-your-childs-vision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swopehealth.org\/time-to-think-about-your-childs-vision\/","title":{"rendered":"Time to think about your child\u2019s vision"},"content":{"rendered":"

Checking the calendar, you\u2019ll find that June, May and August all have sponsors calling for Child Vision Awareness<\/a>, or Children\u2019s Eye Health and Safety<\/a>, or Healthy Vision<\/a> month. This looks like a good time to focus in on children\u2019s vision care.<\/p>\n

After all, summer months bring a change of perspective as kids spend time in places other than the classroom \u2013 whether that\u2019s outdoors in bright sunshine or indoors in front of a screen. Kids probably aren\u2019t thinking about their vision, but you should.<\/p>\n

\u201cKids can have vision problems and not realize it,\u201d says Dr. Vincent Parsons, Swope Health\u2019s chair of optometry. \u201cAnd even minor vision problems can lead to impacts in learning, reading, developing social skills and reaching their full potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why Swope Health, the American Optometric Association<\/a>, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> and other professional and public health agencies recommend annual eye exams.<\/p>\n

Another reason is the stress we inflict on our eyes \u2013 at all ages \u2013 by staring at screens aglow with videos, games, social media posts and so much more. Optometrists know this can produce what\u2019s called \u201cdigital eye strain<\/a>\u201d or computer vision syndrome. This is a series of vision-related problems like eyestrain and blurred vision resulting from too much time in front of a computer, tablet, reader or mobile phone.<\/p>\n

Digital eye strain can cause itchy eyes, Dr. Parsons noted, because staring at the screen makes the eyes work harder and can suppress the normal blink reflex, which acts to spread tears across the surface of the eye. Without keeping the eyes moist, they can dry out and feel scratchy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get more complaints about dry eyes in children now than ever in my 30-plus years of practice,\u201d Dr. Parsons said.<\/p>\n

How can you tell if your kids are getting too much screen time? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Start with the guidelines: The American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a> recommends one hour of screen time a day as enough for children 2 to 12, and two hours a day is acceptable for teens and adults. Children under two shouldn\u2019t have any<\/em> screen time.<\/p>\n

If your kids are using the screen more than those guidelines, watch for these signs:<\/p>\n