Children’s vision is among the lowest health priorities for B.C. parents

With the prevalence of seasonal flus, the importance of dental care and other medical concerns, children’s vision is among the lowest health priorities in B.C.

As part of Children’s Vision Month this October, BC Doctors of Optometry is encouraging parents to prioritize their child’s eye health, as many are unaware that vision problems can cause learning and developmental delays.

A study conducted on behalf of the Canadian Association of Optometrists found that the majority of parents in B.C. do not realize the impact that vision problems can have on the long-term health of their children.

The study shows that 83 per cent of B.C. parents are unaware that vision problems can lead to developmental delays, and 57 per cent don’t know that vision problems may be the cause of a child’s short attention span.

“As children head back to school, and all throughout the year, we strongly encourage parents throughout B.C. to keep their child’s eye health a top priority,” said Dr. Amanda Farley, president of BC Doctors of Optometry. “We know that 80 per cent of a child’s learning is achieved through what they can see, so identifying a vision problem early is essential for a child to grow into their full potential.”

The study also found that parents in B.C. ranked vision health among one of the lowest priorities for their child’s overall health, with only 22 per cent choosing it as one of their top three concerns.

“As an optometrist and mother, these statistics are particularly concerning, because many common vision problems can imitate symptoms of other childhood development issues including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), dyslexia and speech impediments,” Farley said.

A comprehensive eye exam with a BC doctor of optometry is the best way to ensure vision health problems do not go undetected or untreated, such as nearsightedness, improper eye alignment, or reduced vision in one eye due to the eye and brain not working together properly, otherwise known as a lazy eye.

BC Doctors of Optometry recommends that children have their first eye exam between six and nine months of age, their second between the ages of two and five and every year after starting school, unless instructed otherwise by their optometrist.

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Eye Health & Exam Frequency – School-age Children

School-age child’s eyes are constantly in use in the classroom and at play. For school-age children, several different visual skills must work together so they can see and understand clearly. If any of these visual skills are lacking or impaired, your child will need to work harder and may develop headaches or fatigue. Often the increased visual demands of schoolwork can make greater demands on a child’s visual skills, pointing out a vision problem that was not apparent before school. The child may not realize they have a vision problem, they may simply assume everyone sees the way they do.

A vision-related problem may cause some or none of these symptoms:

• headaches or irritability
• avoidance of near or distance work
• covering or rubbing of the eyes
• tilting of the head or unusual posture
• using a finger to maintain place while reading
• losing place while reading
• omitting or confusing words when reading
• performing below their potential
• holding objects close to their face
• sitting close to the television
• short attention span for age

Conditions that may emerge during this stage in your child’s life include myopia or nearsightedness(blurred vision when seeing objects at a distance), hyperopia or farsightedness (blurred vision when seeing objects up close) and astigmatism (distorted vision at all distances).

If your child has had a sight or vision screening at school, know that not all eye tests are created equal, and that this should not replace a comprehensive eye exam. Tests or screenings done at school cannot be used to diagnose an eye-health or learning related vision problems. Studies show that vision screening tests have high error rates; with many children with vision problems being able to pass a vision screening test.

Protect your child’s vision by booking a comprehensive eye exam with a doctor of optometry. Your child should have a complete optometric eye exam at six months, before starting kindergarten, and annually throughout the school years to ensure optimal eye health and developmental progress, or if you notice any of the symptoms listed above appearing between appointments.

During a comprehensive eye exam, your child’s optometrist will perform a series of tests that will determine the quality of their vision and overall health of the eye. These tests may include:

• Slit lamp: This is a high-powered microscope that allows the optometrist to look deep inside your child’s eyes, ensuring the cornea, iris, lens and blood vessels in each eye appear normal and healthy.
• Manual refraction using a phoropter: A phoropter is a machine that allows your child to view objects through a variety of lenses to see what combination is the clearest. It helps determine if your child requires a prescription for glasses or not.
• Stereopsis: Various tests are used to see whether your child’s eyes are working together, one of those tests uses 3D glasses.
• Visual acuity: Using eye charts made up of letters, symbols, tumbling E or pictures, your optometrist will ask what your child can see. This helps the doctor determine how clear your child’s vision is.
• Colour-blind test: Using a variety of patterns and colours, your optometrist will ask your child to identify the objects or numbers hidden within. If your child is colour blind, the patterns will appear different than they would for a person with normal colour vision.
• Retinoscopy: Your optometrist will use a target and ask your child to focus on that target while the optometrist shines a light in their eye. The optometrist will flip through a variety of lenses. This test helps determine the lens prescription.
• Binocular Vision Testing: This includes a number of tests including a ‘cover test’ and checking that all of the extra-ocular muscles are functioning properly.

In addition to scheduling your children for regular comprehensive eye exams, your doctor of optometry is available to discuss various topics. Many are available for urgent care appointments (pink eye, eye injuries, etc.), they can help treat allergies, and can discuss eyewear solutions with you.

Contact us today to learn more about coverage and to book your child’s regular comprehensive eye exam today.

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Digital Eye Strain

Research is showing a rise in the detection of visual problems because of the number of hours spent in front of a computer. Uncorrected hyperopia or myopia, astigmatism and wearing multifocals can all make computer use less comfortable and efficient. Depending on your condition, your eyes could be exerting extra focusing effort or be forced to work harder to maintain a clear image when viewing the screen. Even people with perfect vision may experience symptoms such as blurred vision, eyestrain and headaches with improper computer use. To ensure comfortable and efficient computing, visit your doctor of optometry for a thorough eye exam. Your doctor of optometry will need to know:

• How many hours a day you use a computer
• The distance from your eyes to your screen
• The overall set up of your workstation and your main work tasks
• The type and location of lighting in your computer area

A doctor of optometry will advise you if you suffer from digital eye strain, or if your ocular discomfort is the result of a more serious vision or health problem. To help reduce the risk of digital eye strain, consider the following tips:

• Position your screen about an arm’s length from your eyes and 20 degrees below eye level.
• Set colour and contrast tones to suit your eyes and match the brightness of your screen with your surroundings.
• Minimize reflected glare on your screen by using dimmer switches on lights and a protective anti-glare screen cover. Also consider positioning your screen so that it sits perpendicular to windows and other bright light sources. If you are having trouble locating the source of the glare, turn off your monitor to reveal a darkened screen and tilt/swivel your monitor until the reflection disappears.
• Keep your screen free of fingerprints and dust, as both can reduce visual clarity.
• If you alternate between looking at your screen and paperwork, consider obtaining a clipboard that attaches alongside your monitor so that the two are at the same working distance.
• Use the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes take a 20 second break and focus your eyes on something at least 20 feet away (the water cooler, possibly?). This will give your eyes a much-needed break and reduce some of the symptoms mentioned earlier.
• Remember to blink! Did you know that on average we blink 12 times per minute, but when we’re on the computer, we only blink five times per minute? That can add up to dry eyes. Relieve the discomfort by using artificial teardrops or gels and remembering to blink. Consult your optometrist to determine which eye drops are best to relieve your dry eyes.
• Ask for anti-reflective coatings on the lenses of your glasses, which can be applied at the time of manufacturing, which allow for more comfortable viewing of screens, fluorescent and LED lights. Your doctor of optometry will talk to you about eyewear designed specifically for computer use.

Symptoms of headaches, eye strain, blurred vision, eye irritation, double vision, excessive tearing or dry eyes and excessive blinking or squinting are all common effects of digital eye strain. Any time you experience these symptoms, you should visit your doctor of optometry for a comprehensive eye health examination to rule out a more serious vision problem.

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