WRNMMC, Bethesda, Md.  –   As children, teenagers and young adults head back to school, this is an ideal time to have their eyes checked, according to eye health officials.

Reading comprehension and vision go hand in hand, and students with poor vision frequently show signs of poor comprehension and often find it challenging to keep up with class assignments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explained. “Some studies have found improvements in learning, testing, class participation, behavior, and self-confidence after an eye exam and treatment,” the CDC noted.

Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month is observed during August in the United States to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of children’s eyes. Eye health and good eyesight are essential for young children’s physical and cognitive development, explained Dr. Joseph Rispoli, a staff optometrist at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Eye Institute.

“Ideally, everyone should get a comprehensive eye exam every year. This ensures that any eye health issues are caught early. Children should go for their first eye exam between 6 months to 1 year of age, and then yearly once they reach kindergarten,” Rispoli explained.

What should an eye examination include?
Only 39 percent of preschool children have had their vision tested, which is needed to diagnose eye diseases, the CDC states. “The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends vision screening for all children at least once between age 3 and 5 years to detect amblyopia or risk factors for the disease. Amblyopia (reduced vision because the eye and brain aren’t working together properly) is the most common cause of vision loss in children—2 to 3 out of 100 children. Amblyopia needs to be treated promptly to help avoid vision loss.”

“A full eye exam should include updated prescriptions for glasses and/or contact lenses, and a comprehensive check of your eye health,” Rispoli added. “To fully assess the health of the back of your eye, your eye care provider should perform a dilated eye exam. This is especially important if you have a history of diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of glaucoma, or are noticing any new flashing lights or floating spots in your vision.”

Because most childhood learning occurs visually, good vision is critical for a child’s physical and intellectual well-being, health providers state. Some common signs that your child may be experiencing a health concern include frequent rubbing of the eyes, squinting, tilting, or turning the head to look at objects, squeezing of the eyes, and the eyes wandering.

What are the most common causes of eye injuries?
Rispoli added that for children and adults, “the most common eye injuries occur at home or at work and are typically direct injuries to the eyes. This can include corneal scratches from fingernails, foreign bodies that enter the eye from construction work, and corneal ulcers that occur from over wearing contact lenses.

“I see the most eye injuries in the springtime when people are outside doing yard work and house projects,” Rispoli added. “It's easy to overlook safety goggles or glasses when grinding metal or weed whacking the yard, but these activities can cause small projectiles which can enter your eye and cause varying levels of damage.

“Children under 18 years old who wear glasses should have polycarbonate lenses that are shatter resistant. For adults, it's important to wear proper ANSI rated eye protection during any task that involves risk of projectiles. Always following the instructions your eye care provider gives you regarding contact lens hygiene greatly reduces your risk of corneal ulcers.”

“Keeping up with routine eye examinations is the best thing you can do for your child's eye health,” Rispoli added. “If their first eye exam during infancy shows normal eye health, it's important to bring them back for an updated exam before starting kindergarten.

Vision problems in children
Some common vision problems in children are myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism. Other problems include amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), ptosis (drooping of the eyelid), color deficiency or color blindness, and convergence insufficiency, which affects how the eyes work together when looking at objects close up.

Protect your child’s vision
Some tips for protecting your child’s vision include:
• Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to help protect your child’s vision.
• Limiting screen time and having your child take frequent breaks when using digital devices.
• Getting adequate sleep.
• Spending time outdoors to allow eyes to recover from eye strain and fatigue.
• Wearing sunglasses to protect them from exposure to the sun’s UV rays.
• Using protective eyewear in playing sports, lawn care or other activities.
• Getting regular eye exams.

For more information regarding children’s eye health and safety, visit the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/resources/features/vision-health-children.html, or the National Institutes of Health website at https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/nei-for-kids.