Eye Health

Kids eyesight

Because vision seems so natural, it may be surprising to know that clear vision is itself a learned skill.  And since much of what we know about the world is taken in through our vision, encouraging normal visual development in children is very important.  Each step builds on each other.

Babies and toddlers are learning to see.  They develop in their ability to follow objects with their eyes, to adjust focus until things are sharp, and to see in 3D and avoid double vision by having both eyes work together.  They develop eye-hand co-ordination. Given good visual stimulation, the sharpness of vision improves in the first few years of life. 

Early school years are all about learning to read.  This requires good visual perception skills, to focus attention, to distinguish one letter from another, to recognise words, to gain meaning from text.  

As schooling progresses, students read to learn. They spend longer periods of time reading smaller print and more complicated language.  The finer control skills of vision - getting focus and eye movements working just right, and being able to maintain them for prolonged periods - are needed for optimal learning. 

For many children, everything goes well, and clear vision and new visual skills happen without even being noticed. 

Eye problems in childhood

The important thing is to pick up on those who for one reason or another are missing out on good vision, and helping them before it starts to get in the way of normal development, learning or enjoying life. 

Sometimes there are obvious signs of something wrong - difficulty seeing in the distance, problems with learning to read, headaches, sore eyes or turned eyes - which leads to an eye examination. But often children won't know what they are missing out on, and only having a regular eye check-up will pick up their visual problems.  

How can Sharpe and Fowler help?

In younger people examination is focussed around 4 ideals:

• Both eyes healthy.
• Both eyes seeing well.
• Both eyes working together.
• Visual skills developing normally.

Making sure the eyes are healthy is the first step.  Eye disease may be treatable by us or require referral to an ophthalmologist (medical eye specialist).   

Examining for refractive errors (out of focus eyes) may discover shortsightedness (myopia), long-sightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism, or a difference in focus between the eyes (anisometropia).  Glasses or sometimes contact lenses may be prescribed for full-time, or just specific purposes.  

Checking binocular vision (eye teaming) and visual skills determines how well the eyes work together to enable comfortable 3D vision at any distance.  If binocular vision problems are detected, a programme of vision training or glasses may be advised.  

Helping you understand your child's eyes is an important step in the process - so that you know what's being done and why. 

 

 

Eye Health Facts

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