Children's Eye Health & Safety Month
August is here and that means getting ready for a new school year with supply shopping, immunizations, physicals and school orientations. But have you also made an appointment to get your children’s eyes examined?
As a part of Child Eye Health and Safety Month, parents are reminded each August to include eye examinations in your back-to-school checklist. As much as 80% of your child’s classroom education is visually taught. If kids can’t see clearly, it negatively impacts academic and athletic performance, as well as self-esteem.
What are the signs of vision problems in kids?
- Frequent rubbing of the eyes or squinting
- Tilting or turning their head to look at objects
- Wandering eyes
- Squeezing eyes
The most common causes of vision problems in children include:
- Amblyopia (lazy eye)
- Strabismus (crossed eyes)
- Color deficiency (color blindness)
- Refractive errors like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism
When diagnosed early, these issues can be treated and vision can be restored or greatly enhanced. Conditions not diagnosed until later in life are rarely able to be treated so effectively.
This August, be sure to schedule an eye exam for each of your kids, and practice these vision safety tips:
- Always provide age-appropriate toys and proper protective eyewear for play and sports.
- Purchase toys that meet the safety standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
- If your child does experience an eye injury, NEVER let your child rub or touch their eye, DO NOT apply medication to it, and DO NOT attempt to remove any debris from their eye.
- If their eye injury is caused by a chemical, flush their eye with water.
- For all eye injuries, including those occurring from a chemical, seek medical attention immediately.
At Faulkner’s Drug Store, your family’s health and safety matter. Head over to our Facebook page for more helpful information, and stop by the pharmacy to talk to one of our expert pharmacists.