Good Vision & Healthy Eyes: Important for Success at School
The first day of school might look vastly different this year than last year, but good vision is essential regardless of whether your child will be completing their classes virtually, in person, or a hybrid of the two options. Most information processed in school through reading, writing, and using a computer is visual, so imagine if your eyes and brain aren’t working together to process that information. An undiagnosed vision problem can affect confidence and self-esteem, or be misdiagnosed as attention or behavioral issues. Often times, vision correction with glasses can help a child see better and feel more comfortable.
Symptoms of Vision Problems in Kids
Kids don’t always realize they are experiencing a problem, so keeping a pulse on symptoms they are experiencing is important. Look for:
- Frequent blinking and/or rubbing eyes
- Headaches
- Short attention span for close work
- A sudden drop in grades
- Poor reading comprehension
- Squinting
- Head tilting or turning
- Poor hand-eye coordination
- Covering one eye
A Vision Screening Is Not A Comprehensive Eye Exam
Remember the vision screening your child had during school last year? A vision screening is not a comprehensive eye exam. Although screenings can uncover some vision problems, they might actually prevent an early diagnosis of more serious conditions. Many vision screenings only test for visual acuity, or ability to discern letters or numbers at a given distance. While seeing clearly from a distance is important, other issues like up-close focusing and eye health are not screened for.
A comprehensive eye exam with a Midwest Eye Consultants optometrist will help you gain a full picture of your child’s eye health, from reviewing the health history of the patient and family, testing visual function, eye health, color vision, pupillary response, to eye movement abilities and any other test that might be necessary.
So whatever form of school your child is taking in during this unprecedented time, good vision will always remain important to their success. Be sure to take advantage of our back to school specials on eye exams, glasses, and contact lenses before August 31. Schedule your child’s back to school eye exam today.
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