August 2019 Newsletter

Make Sure Your Child is Ready for Success in School!

Twenty-five percent of school children have vision problems; many go undiagnosed and untreated. That can leave too many kids behind, wasting years of education and money. Requiring comprehensive eye exams can help more kids succeed academically and graduate. Don’t delay in scheduling your child’s eye exam.

We have a “Back to School” Student Special available: $175 for full dilated eye exam and glasses.

When purchasing a new pair of glasses for your child you can put their new prescription in an old frame for $29.95. Single Vision Clear Polycarbonate Lenses up to RX +/- 4.00. Not to be combined with other offers.

Is Too Much Screen Time Harming Children’s Vision?

As children spend more time tethered to screens, there is increasing concern about potential harm to their visual development. Eye Doctors are seeing a marked increase in children with dry eye and eye strain from too much screen time. But does digital eye-strain cause lasting damage?

Should your child use reading glasses or computer glasses? As you send your kids back to school this month for more time with screens and books, Eye Centers of Northwest Ohio and the American Academy of Ophthalmology are arming parents with the facts, so they can make informed choices about their children’s eye health.

It’s a fact that there is a world-wide epidemic of myopia, also known as nearsightedness. Since 1971, the incidence of nearsightedness in the US nearly doubled, to 42 percent. In Asia, up to 90 percent of teenagers and adults are nearsighted. Clearly, something is causing this… But scientists can’t agree on exactly what.

A new study appearing in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, offers further evidence that at least part of the worldwide increase in nearsightedness has to do with near work activities; not just screens but also traditional book. And, that spending time outdoors—especially in early childhood—can slow the progression of nearsightedness.

It remains unclear whether the rise in nearsightedness is due to focusing on phones all the time, or to light interacting with our circadian rhythms to influence eye growth, or none of the above.

While scientists look for a definitive answer, there is no doubt that most computer users experience digital eyestrain. Kids are no different from adults when it comes to digital eyestrain. They can experience dry eye, eye strain, headaches, and blurry vision, too. While symptoms are typically temporary, they may be frequent and persistent.

But this doesn’t mean they need a prescription for computer glasses or that they have developed an eye condition of middle-age that requires reading glasses, as some suggest. It also doesn’t mean that blue light coming from computer screens is damaging their eyes. It means they need to take more frequent breaks. This is because we don’t blink as often while using computers and other digital devices. Extended reading, writing or other intensive near work can also cause eye strain. Ophthalmologists recommend taking a 20 second break from near work every 20 minutes.

Kid’s Eye Disorders

Strabismus – (“Cross-Eyed”) is a misalignment of the eyes. One or both eyes may turn out, in, up or down. Strabismus does not go away on its own. Strabismus can cause poor vision. The brain may begin to ignore the image from the misaligned eye to avoid double vision, resulting in vision development issues of that eye.

Strabismus can be treated. The goal is to improve eye alignment allowing for better binocular vision. Treatment may involve glasses, vision therapy or even eye muscle surgery

Amblyopia – (“Lazy Eye”) is the leading cause of vision loss amongst children. Amblyopia is decreased vision in one or both eyes due to abnormal development of vision. The brain receives two images, one clear and one blurry. The brain begins to ignore the blurry image and starts to only process the clear image, thus favoring one eye.

The most common way to treat Amblyopia is with patching. A patch is prescribed to be worn over the functioning eye for a specified time period daily. This forces the brain to “relearn” how to see and vision may increase. Other treatments may include eye glasses, eye drops or vision therapy.