Good vision is a must to ensure a successful school year.
SAN ANTONIO — The school year is underway, and classrooms full of kids already deep in learning. Making sure their vision is in tip top shape is a must to keeping them at the top of the class all year long.
Children may get vision screenings in schools and at the pediatrician, but the American Optometric Association says they only cover four percent of what would normally be covered at the eye doctor. That is why regular visits to an optometrist are extremely important. Dr. Jacquie Bowen, the President of the American Optometric Association Board of Trustees told us, “We’re born with two eyes, and that’s all you get for your whole life. There’s no such thing as a replacement or a transplant, so it’s common sense to take care of them with a professional on a regular basis.”
Increased use of screens at school increases the likelihood children could develop eye problems such as myopia or nearsightedness, lazy eyes, eye coordination issues, eyestrain, and dry eye. Dr. Bowen added, “Staring at a screen requires a lot of effort on the part of the eyes and the brain. If you’re staring into a light source instinctively, parents know that that’s probably not good for their kids to sit still for hours at a time and stare at a screen.”
That’s why doctors suggest the 20, 20, 20 rule. If you look at a screen for 20 minutes, take at least a 20 second break, and look at something 20 feet away.
Left undiagnosed, eye problems are often misdiagnosed as learning disorders, causing further academic and developmental delays. Dr. Bowen said, “The brain and the eyes are really good at suppressing problems and just dealing with it. But there are a lot of underlying things that affect learning and physical performance and lifetime habits that we can’t assume are okay without a comprehensive exam with an optometrist.”