A comprehensive eye exam for your child should be one of the items on your back-to-school list! An annual exam can help your child keep seeing clearly and help to diagnose any underlying health or learning issues. Keeping our kids’ bodies and vision in tip-top shape is important for not only their health, but also their academic success. 

Children’s vision can frequently change throughout the year, so ensuring that they receive an annual eye exam will help them to see their best! If a child has other eye health concerns, more visits to your optometrist might be necessary. Did you know that optometrists can screen for over 270 diseases? It’s true that your eyes are the window to your health. During the comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor will screen for any potential health issues. 

It certainly is important for annual check-ups even when there are no significant symptoms, however, there are tell-tale signs that your child needs to see an eye doctor for corrective lenses and other vision correction. 

Signs of eye and vision problems 

• Complaints of discomfort and fatigue. 
• Frequent eye rubbing or blinking. 
• Short attention span. 
• Avoiding reading and other close activities. 
• Frequent headaches. 
• Covering one eye. 
• Tilting the head to one side. 
• Holding reading materials close to the face. 
• An eye turning in or out. 
• Seeing double. 
• Losing place when reading. 
• Difficulty remembering what they read.¹

These symptoms can hinder the success your child could achieve in school and extracurricular activities due to lack of confidence or poor binocularity. Vision-related learning problems can lead to feelings of inadequacy compared to their peers which could result in them falling behind in their foundational knowledge. The good news is that your eye doctor can put a stop to these issues simply by correcting your child’s vision!² 

You might be thinking, “my kid gets a vision test every year at school or at the pediatrician’s office”. This may be true; however, typically these are vision screenings and not complete examinations.  Parents and educators should not rely solely on school or vision screenings. Just because a child has 20/20 vision, doesn’t mean that they couldn’t still have vision problems relating to eye focusing, eye tracking and eye coordination which can easily be diagnosed by an optometrist during a comprehensive eye exam. To ensure your child is seeing their absolute best, you can find an optometrist near you, here! 

References:

1. https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/back-to-school?sso=y&ct=74de599596b8f0625ecee7e73b9075748b40b67c7483063398c240812d9cc25103a8fe3cdf4730eaa60a156eb827cb7e3ce2c9ffd0bf6feed002d659bd886416#:~:text=Why%20back%2Dto%2Dschool%20eye,if%20recommended%20by%20an%20optometrist.https://iconeyecare.com/eye-care-blog/10-cataract-facts-cataract-awareness-month/
2. https://evansandpiggotteyecare.com/four-ways-poor-vision-can-affect-learning-children/

June is Cataract Awareness Month! The Optometrists of Colorado want to make you aware of this common and natural part of aging. Did you know, cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world? It’s true! In fact, in the U.S.,  nearly 70% of people over the age of 75 have cataracts or have undergone cataract surgery¹. You might be wondering “what is a cataract?” A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye that can affect one or both eyes resulting in reduced clarity. To keep your vision healthy and clear, it is important to get an annual comprehensive eye exam, especially if you are over the age of 55! 

Risk Factors 

Certain lifestyles and genetics can play a factor in your risk of cataract development. 

• Family history of cataracts 
• Excessive exposure to sunlight 
• Smoking 
• High blood pressure 
• Diabetes 
• Obesity 

Thankfully, you can combat some of the risk factors by wearing UV-blocking sunglasses to avoid excess sunlight exposure. Also, eating a balanced diet with foods high in Vitamin C while also partaking in a healthy and balanced lifestyle! 

Diagnosis 

To determine whether you have a cataract, your doctor will review your medical history and symptoms, and perform an eye examination. Your doctor may conduct several tests, including: 

• Visual acuity test: A visual acuity test uses an eye chart to measure how well you can read a series of letters. Using a chart or a viewing device with progressively smaller letters, your eye doctor determines if you have 20/20 vision or if your vision shows signs of impairment. 
• Slit-lamp examination: A slit lamp allows your eye doctor to see the structures at the front of your eye under magnification. The microscope is called a slit lamp because it uses an intense line of light, a slit, to illuminate your cornea, iris, lens, and the space between your iris and cornea. The slit allows your doctor to view these structures in small sections, which makes it easier to detect any tiny abnormalities. 
• Retinal exam: To prepare for a retinal exam, your eye doctor puts drops in your eyes to dilate your pupils. This makes it easier to examine the back of your eyes, otherwise known as the retina. Using a slit lamp or a special device called an ophthalmoscope, your eye doctor can examine your lens for signs of a cataract². 
• Glare testing: This test re-creates the effects of headlights to see if that kind of light reduces your best corrected vision. 

If you notice clouding in your eye and blurring in your vision, make an appointment with an eye doctor. 

Treatment 

Cataract surgery is quick and nearly painless. The surgery can be done in around 30 minutes and is one of the most common surgeries performed in the United States. During the surgery, your doctor will remove your natural lens and replace it with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL), this will significantly improve your blurred vision! There is a very high success rate for this surgery, leaving patients with improved quality of life. The good news is that cataract surgery with basic lens replacement is often covered by Medicare and other insurance companies.  

Ultimately, cataracts are natural and very common! It’s important to keep your eyes healthy and vision clear for the best possible quality of life, and eye doctors are able to help with this. Find a doctor near you, so you can ensure you’re seeing your best!

References:

1. https://iconeyecare.com/eye-care-blog/10-cataract-facts-cataract-awareness-month/
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cataracts/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353795https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/uv-protection?sso=y

We all know it is important to keep children’s eyes safe when playing sports and doing physical activity, but what about adults and seniors? Well, it is just as important! Adults and seniors need the same eye protection that is provided to children. In fact, eye trauma can result in pain, vision loss or disease. That’s why it is important that active senior citizens utilize proper eyewear and protection when playing sports. It allows you to keep enjoying your athletics while maintaining proper eye health. Here are some tips to keep you playing (and seeing) in a healthy way.   

Proper Eye Protection 

Whether you wear corrective lenses or not, it is important to protect your eyes from a multitude of factors. For example, playing a ball-focused sport, like tennis or pickleball, you want to make sure that your eyes are protected from the high speed nature of the sport. Being hit in the eye with a ball flying at a high speed can cause damage or even lead to serious eye diseases, such as retinal detachment, resulting in vision loss¹.  Optometrists in Colorado suggest that you wear protective eyewear such as racquet sports glasses when playing your sport of choice. The safety glasses you wear should be made of polycarbonate with UV filters. Safety glasses can be made with your prescription and worn in place of your day-to-day glasses. Even if you wear contact lenses, wearing non-prescription safety glasses in conjunction with them is highly suggested because they will help to protect you from potential eye trauma.  

If you do experience eye trauma, be sure to contact your optometrist right away as they can help you quickly and efficiently without a visit to the ER!  

UV Protection 

Protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays is always important (especially here in Colorado)! Wearing sunglasses during the summer, and all year, can help protect you from damaging light from the sun and even indoor sources.  

To provide adequate protection for your eyes, sunglasses should²: 

• Block out 99 to 100% of both UV-A and UV-B radiation. 
• Screen out 75 to 90% of visible light. 
• Have lenses that are perfectly matched in color and free of distortion and imperfection. 
• Have lenses that are gray or brown depending on your preference.  

For sports participation, sunglass lenses should be made from polycarbonate or Trivex® material, just like the safety glasses/goggles mentioned before. These lenses are very durable and resist impact. Wearing wraparound frames should be considered as they offer even more protection for your eyes.

There are even certain contact lens brands that offer UV protection and are a great option for everyday use. Be sure to check with your optometrist during your annual comprehensive exam to see which option is the best fit for you and your sun protection needs. 

Vision Exam

To keep you at peak athleticism, be sure to schedule your annual comprehensive eye exam. Not only will your optometrist check your vision and offer you corrective lenses if necessary, but they will also screen for over 270 different diseases! Being confident in your vision and overall eye health will surely up your game, whether it is pickleball, tennis or everyday life. If you are in need of an optometrist near you, click here to find one! 

References:

1. https://icrcat.com/en/eye-health/athletes/#:~:text=How%20should%20athletes%20protect%20their%20vision%3F,-Protection%20against%20sunlight&text=The%20use%20of%20protective%20sunglasses,the%20retina%20or%20the%20macula.
2. https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/caring-for-your-eyes/uv-protection?sso=y